The effects of cues on task interruption recovery in a concurrent multitasking environment

As one of the interruption management strategies, using information cues can effectively mitigate the sequential task performance decline caused by task interruptions. However, how to use information cues to optimize post-interruption performance in a concurrent multitasking environment is still unknown. This study analyzed the effects of retrieval cue (a cue that points towards the last action before interruption) and assistant cue (a cue that points towards the next action after interruption) on interrupted task performance in the concurrent multitasking environment through two experiments. The effects of cues on different levels of personnel fatigue were further investigated using electroencephalography (EEG). The results show that assistant cues effectively improve concurrent multitasking interruptions, with a more significant impact observed in the presence of fatigue. Retrieval cues do not enhance the performance of interrupted tasks but can reduce the operator workload and improve alertness. The findings provide valuable insights for managing interruptions in concurrent multitasking environments.