TY - JOUR
T1 - Interruptions versus breaks
T2 - the role of cue utilisation in a simulated process control task
AU - Falkland, Emma C.
AU - Wiggins, Mark W.
AU - Westbrook, Johanna I.
PY - 2021/3
Y1 - 2021/3
N2 - Although interruptions and breaks are similar insofar as they both offer a momentary recess from the primary task, the premise for the activity in which the operator engages differs. Interruptions impose the requirement to direct resources to complete a task, while breaks offer the opportunity for suspended goal rehearsal. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in resumption lags following “interruptions” and “breaks,” and whether cue utilisation moderates this relationship. Seventy-nine university students completed an assessment of cue utilisation and managed scheduled and unscheduled interruptions and breaks during a 35-min rail control simulation. The analyses revealed that participants who recorded higher cue utilisation recorded shorter resumption lags following scheduled, rather than unscheduled interruptions. Participants who recorded lower cue utilisation recorded shorter resumption lags following breaks compared to interruptions, irrespective of the administration. The results suggest that scheduled interruptions and breaks offer the opportunity for suspended goal rehearsal.
AB - Although interruptions and breaks are similar insofar as they both offer a momentary recess from the primary task, the premise for the activity in which the operator engages differs. Interruptions impose the requirement to direct resources to complete a task, while breaks offer the opportunity for suspended goal rehearsal. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in resumption lags following “interruptions” and “breaks,” and whether cue utilisation moderates this relationship. Seventy-nine university students completed an assessment of cue utilisation and managed scheduled and unscheduled interruptions and breaks during a 35-min rail control simulation. The analyses revealed that participants who recorded higher cue utilisation recorded shorter resumption lags following scheduled, rather than unscheduled interruptions. Participants who recorded lower cue utilisation recorded shorter resumption lags following breaks compared to interruptions, irrespective of the administration. The results suggest that scheduled interruptions and breaks offer the opportunity for suspended goal rehearsal.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85096868319&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/acp.3766
DO - 10.1002/acp.3766
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85096868319
VL - 35
SP - 473
EP - 485
JO - Applied Cognitive Psychology
JF - Applied Cognitive Psychology
SN - 0888-4080
IS - 2
ER -