| dc.description.abstract | Multitasking is a skill that is essential for effective everyday living. However, despite an
increase in attempts to identify the cognitive components underlying such a skill, there is
still uncertainty over the exact processes involved and what might impair them. This
research has examined the effects of interruptions on a novel multitasking task (MT) and
a single task (ST), in an attempt to further understand the processes involved. 40
participants completed both a ST and the MT, and were interrupted with a one minute
arithmetic task during each. The novel MT required participants to complete subgroups
from each of the four tasks provided (tangled lines, visual search, telephone and LegoTM)
over ten minutes. The ST required participants to perform only one of the four tasks for
the full ten minutes. Participants’ working memory scores were also measured.
Interruption effects did not differ between the ST and the MT, and the interruption was not
found to disrupt task performance. Strong effects of memory for task instructions were
also found. It is suggested that participants adopted a strategy for use during the MT,
with different strategies chosen by those with high and low working memory scores.
These results are considered in relation to previous research, and appear to support the
suggestion that the ability to deal with an unexpected interruption is separate from the
ability to complete either a multitasking task or a single task (Law et al., 2004). The
limitations surrounding this study are also considered, as is the need for future research
that continues to develop models of multitasking, and methodologies for investigating the
cognitive processes involved as well as what might impair them. | en |
