Toward a unified theory of the multitasking continuum: from concurrent performance to task switching, interruption, and resumption

Authors:
Dario D. Salvucci;Niels A. Taatgen;Jelmer P. Borst
Affiliations:
Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA;Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA;University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
Venue:
Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Year:
2009

Citing 15
Cited 13

Unified theories of cognition

Unified theories of cognition
Effects of instant messaging interruptions on computing tasks

CHI '00 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Predicting human interruptibility with sensors: a Wizard of Oz feasibility study

Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Preparing to resume an interrupted task: effects of prospective goal encoding and retrospective rehearsal

International Journal of Human-Computer Studies - Notification user interfaces
A model for notification systems evaluation—assessing user goals for multitasking activity

ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction (TOCHI)
"Constant, constant, multi-tasking craziness": managing multiple working spheres

Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Examining the robustness of sensor-based statistical models of human interruptibility

Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
If not now, when?: the effects of interruption at different moments within task execution

Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Towards an index of opportunity: understanding changes in mental workload during task execution

Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Examining task engagement in sensor-based statistical models of human interruptibility

Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Investigating the effectiveness of mental workload as a predictor of opportune moments for interruption

CHI '05 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Leveraging characteristics of task structure to predict the cost of interruption

Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Disruption and recovery of computing tasks: field study, analysis, and directions

Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Understanding changes in mental workload during execution of goal-directed tasks and its application for interruption management

ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction (TOCHI)
Balancing awareness and interruption: investigation of notification deferral policies

UM'05 Proceedings of the 10th international conference on User Modeling

Multitasking and monotasking: the effects of mental workload on deferred task interruptions

Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
On reconstruction of task context after interruption

Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Knowing where and when to look in a time-critical multimodal dual task

Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Resumption strategies for interrupted programming tasks

Software Quality Control
Designing of multimodal feedback for enhanced multitasking performance

Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Juggling on a high wire: Multitasking effects on performance

International Journal of Human-Computer Studies
Multitasking and interruptions: a SIG on bridging the gap between research on the micro and macro worlds

CHI '12 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems
The effects of mindfulness meditation training on multitasking in a high-stress information environment

Proceedings of Graphics Interface 2012
Deaf and hearing students' eye gaze collaboration

ICCHP'12 Proceedings of the 13th international conference on Computers Helping People with Special Needs - Volume Part I
An empirical investigation into how users adapt to mobile phone auto-locks in a multitask setting

MobileHCI '12 Proceedings of the 14th international conference on Human-computer interaction with mobile devices and services
Managing mobile multitasking: the culture of iPhones on stanford campus

Proceedings of the 2013 conference on Computer supported cooperative work
Facebook and texting made me do it: Media-induced task-switching while studying

Computers in Human Behavior
Self-interruptions in discretionary multitasking

Computers in Human Behavior

Quantified Score

Hi-index	0.01

Visualization

Abstract

Multitasking in user behavior can be represented along a continuum in terms of the time spent on one task before switching to another. In this paper, we present a theory of behavior along the multitasking continuum, from concurrent tasks with rapid switching to sequential tasks with longer time between switching. Our theory unifies several theoretical effects - the ACT-R cognitive architecture, the threaded cognition theory of concurrent multitasking, and the memory-for-goals theory of interruption and resumption - to better understand and predict multitasking behavior. We outline the theory and discuss how it accounts for numerous phenomena in the recent empirical literature.