Effects of external and internal interruptions on boredom at work: two studies

Abstract

SummaryIt is proposed that attentional diculties are central to the experience of boredom. Events which disrupt attention during task performance may contribute to feelings of boredom with the task. Two sources of disruption are explored: external interruptions from the physical environment, and internal interruptions in the form of non-taskrelated thoughts about current concerns. Study 1 found that external interruptions reduced boredom on a simple task which required little attention, but contrary to expectations, had no impact on reactions to a simple task that did require attention or on reactions to a complex task. Study 2 manipulated internal interruptions via a role-playing methodology, and found that observers attributed greater boredom and less satisfaction to performers who were more frequently interrupted by non-task-related thoughts while at work, especially when these thoughts were about non-urgent concerns. The concepts of internal and external interruptions may be quite useful in understanding variations in the day-to-day experience of work, and in the relationship of non-work to work spheres of life. #

How Does a Short, Interrupted Recovery Break Affect Performance and How Is It Assessed? A Study on Acute Effects

“…7,14,16 Fisher 14 assumes that interruptions would be more irritating if they were very frequent, the task has been enjoyed, or they were uncontrollable. Two of those could be applied to the experimental condition of the current study as participants, first, had no control over the interruption, and, second, appreciated the recovery break (a mean of 4.5 points on a scale ranging up to 6 in the manipulation check).…”

“…13 Such an incidence may cause frustration, helplessness, or a change in task strategies. 14 Interruptions tend to have a negative connotation as they are associated with time consuming stops leaving people with insufficient time to accomplish goals. 1 An additional factor is that those interruptions occur mostly unexpected and interrupt a person's state of total involvement in a task.…”

Process in skill acquisition: motivation, interruptions, memory, affective states, and metacognition

“…Interruptions have been investigated in association with diverse psychological phenomena, such as information overload (Speier et al, 1999), speed (Zijlstra, Roe, Leonara, & Krediet, I 999), and accuracy (Cellier & Eyrolle, 1992) of performance; work stress (Kirmeyer, 1988); emotional states (Seibert & Ellis, 1991); age (Czaja & Sharit, 1998); gender (Joesch, 1997); and boredom (Fisher, 1998). No studies have directly examined the effect and demands of interruptions on attentional resources during the process of skill-acquisition performance.…”

Interruption Management: The Use of Attention-Directing Tactile Cues

“…Interruptions occur in the context of ongoing task performance and can be classified into two broad categories (Fisher, 1998): externally generated and internally generated. Internally generated interruptions include things such as daydreams and intrusive thoughts, whereas externally generated interruptions include events as varied as a phone call, the arrival of an Email, a coworker with a question, and even a fire alarm.…”