Integrating knowledge of multitasking and interruptions across different perspectives and research methods

Abstract

Multitasking and interruptions have been studied using a variety of methods in multiple fields (e.g., HCI, cognitive science, computer science, and social sciences).This diversity brings many complementary insights. However, it also challenges researchers to understand how seemingly disparate ideas can best be integrated to further theory and to inform the design of interactive systems. There is therefore a need for a platform to discuss how different approaches to understanding multitasking and interruptions can be combined to provide insights that are more than the sum of their parts. In this article we argue for the necessity of an integrative approach. As part of this argument we provide an overview of articles in this special issue on multitasking and interruptions. These articles showcase the variety of methods currently used to study multitasking and interruptions. It is clear that there are many challenges to studying multitasking and interruptions from different perspectives and using different techniques. We advance a six--point research agenda for the future of multi--method research on this important and timely topic.

Traditions of research into interruptions in healthcare: A conceptual review

“…On the other hand, it may be unsurprising, given that researchers in the quality improvement community focus on rapid translation of findings into practice through interventions that address interruptions. Some researchers have argued that interventions can be improved by combining different methodological approaches [184], but adopting methods or principles from other traditions may take too long or it may require an inappropriate focus on a very specific research question [87] or a level of control that is unachievable in practice.…”

Interruptions, visual cues, and the microstructure of interaction: Four laboratory studies

“…First, we have described the experimental paradigm as a primary task that is periodically interrupted, but it could be described as task switching or task interleaving. As Janssen et al (2015) point out "interruptions are only one form of the perhaps broader category of multitasking" (p. 3). Below we note where our research is interruption-specific and where it has commonalities with multitasking research.…”

Interruptions in the wild: portraying the handling of interruptions in manufacturing from a distributed cognition lens

“…One of these domains is healthcare environments, in which the practical problems of interruption lately have been receiving a great amount of attention (e.g. Janssen et al 2015;Sanderson and Grundgeiger 2015;Weigl et al 2014;Werner and Holden 2015).…”

“…However, DCog does not exclude the quantitative approach. In fact, Janssen et al (2015) suggested a combination of various methods and techniques to further develop interruption research. By gathering quantitative data such as the amount of interruptions during a certain time interval in combination with qualitative data regarding what kind of interruptions happening and how they are handled brings a broader perspective, which potentially could yield a richer description of the characteristics of naturally occurring interruptions, how frequent they are, and which cognitive strategies humans use to handle them.…”

“…Grundgeiger and Sanderson 2009;Werner and Holden 2015), and a descriptive attempt to portray interruptions as they occur in an additional natural setting is therefore of major importance (e.g. Janssen et al 2015;Werner and Holden 2015).…”