The Relationship Between Individual Differences in Switching Performance and Task Engagement

Abstract

Strategic task switching is demanded in many real-world situations where effective simultaneous performance of concurrent tasks is not possible. Building from a model of strategic task overload management, the current study explored the influence of task load on the relationship between an individual’s task switching capability and task engagement. Only when high workload was present in both tasks was there a correlation between the capability to switch and subsequent action within tasks. In contrast, no relationships between task switching and later task engagement were seen when demands were not high enough in both tasks to require strategic switching.

Assessing cognitive workloads of assembly workers during multi-task switching

“…The results showed that task-switching behavior has no significant effect on comprehension ability, but it significantly affects the fatigue and workload of the subjects. Clegg et al explored the effect of task load on the relationship between individual task-switching ability and task engagement 10 . The results showed that the correlation between switching ability and subsequent operation time was only found when there was a high workload in both tasks.…”