The Zeigarnik Phenomenon Revisited: Implications for Enhancement of Morale

Weybrew, Benjamin B.

doi:10.2466/pms.1984.58.1.223

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Conversely, a completed task has reached closure and mental activity on the task has terminated, releasing task information from memory. The Zeigarnik effect extends to time perception in that it has been found that time estimates are longer for interrupted than completed tasks (Schiffman & Greist-Bousquet, 1992;Weybrew, 1984). This finding appears consistent with retrospective timing models, which suggest that more information retained in memory after interrupted tasks will lengthen time estimates.…”

Section: Perceived Timesupporting

confidence: 63%

Perceived Time as a Measure of Mental Workload: Effects of Time Constraints and Task Success

Hertzum

Holmegaard

2013

International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction

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The mental workload imposed by systems is important to their operation and usability. Consequently, researchers and practitioners need reliable, valid, and easy-to-administer methods for measuring mental workload. The ratio of perceived time to clock time appears to be such a method, yet mental workload has multiple dimensions of which the perceived time ratio has mainly been linked to the task-related dimension. This study investigates how the perceived time ratio is affected by time constraints, which make time an explicit concern in the execution of tasks, and task success, which is a performance-related rather than task-related dimension of mental workload. A higher perceived time ratio is found for timed than untimed tasks. According to subjective workload ratings and pupil-diameter measurements, the timed tasks impose higher mental workload. This finding contradicts the prospective paradigm, which asserts that perceived time decreases with increasing mental workload. A higher perceived time ratio was also found for solved than unsolved tasks, whereas subjective workload ratings indicate lower mental workload for the solved tasks. This finding shows that the relationship between the perceived time ratio and mental workload is reversed for task success compared to time constraints. Implications for the use of perceived time as a measure of mental workload are discussed.

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Section: Perceived Timesupporting

confidence: 63%

Perceived Time as a Measure of Mental Workload: Effects of Time Constraints and Task Success

Hertzum

Holmegaard

2013

International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction

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“…The tasks used in the experiment on interruption did not receive a lot of attention. In the first interruption research, traced back to the 1920s, a list of three-letter anagrams was given to subjects to solve (Weybrew, 1984). While solving the anagrams, the subjects were abruptly asked to estimate the amount of time it took them to solve the first 10 anagrams (an interrupting task).…”

Section: The Tasks Used In Previous Interruption Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The study found that the tasks that were interrupted were recalled more often than those that were not interrupted, and that the subjects recalled the interrupted tasks first. It is called the "Zeigarnik effect" (Weybrew, 1984); however, her study did not consider task types and performance, and the overall effects of interruptions were not investigated as well.…”

Section: The Tasks Used In Previous Interruption Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of Task Interruption on Human Performance: A Study of the Systematic Classification of Human Behavior and Interruption Frequency

Lee

Duffy

2014

Hum Ftrs & Erg Mfg Svc

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Interruptions are prevalent phenomena in modern working environments; yet, few interruption studies have been conducted on different types of human tasks. A study using computer-based human behavior tasks was carried out to investigate the effects of interruptions with 4 different primary-interrupting task sets. The tasks used in this study were determined by cognitive and motor skill processes based on human behavior classification theory. The results showed that interruption effects were most negative in cognitive/cognitive task sets, and skill/cognitive task sets showed the least amount of effects in task completion time, F(3, 332) = 77.88, p < .001. In error rate performance, skill/skill task sets showed the highest rate, and error rates for cognitive primary task sets (cognitive/cognitive and cognitive/skill task sets) were not significantly different, F(1, 42) = 41.18, p < .001; F(1, 42) = 3.56, p = 0.0661. Interruption frequency also negatively affected task performance, F(1, 412) = 89.88, p < .001, but skill tasks' quantitative performance did not show significant effects at different interruption frequencies, F(1, 187) = 3.78, p = .0534. The results showed that interruptions increase more time to complete in cognitive tasks and produce more errors in skill tasks. Also, similar types of primary-interrupting tasks were more susceptible from interruptions. Thus, based on task composition of work process, we can estimate different effects from the interruptions and memory load, and task similarity in primary-interrupting task relationship were considered a main factor. C 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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“…A later study by Van Bergen (1968) failed to replicate the ndings of Zeigarnik. Other researchers (SchiVman & Greist-Bousquet, 1992;Weybrew, 1984), focusing on the eVect of interruptions on the perception of time, con rmed that interruptions have an eVect on participants' recollection of their environment, but the existence of 'tension systems' was not demonstrated. These studies are of theoretical interest because they represent an attempt to clarify the cognitive processes involved in dealing with interruptions.…”

mentioning

confidence: 97%

Temporal factors in mental work: Effects of interrupted activities

Zijlstra

Roe

Leonora

et al. 1999

J Occupat & Organ Psyc

356

297

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Although interruptions are daily occurring events for most working people, little research has been done on the impacts of interruptions on workers and their performance. This study examines the effects of interruptions on task performance and its regulation, as well as on workers' psychological and psychophysiological state. Two parallel experiments were carried out in the Netherlands and in Russia, using a common conceptual framework and overlapping designs. Employees with relevant work experience carried out realistic text editing tasks in a simulated office environment, while the frequency and complexity of interruptions were experimentally manipulated. It was hypothesized that interruptions: (i) would cause a deterioration of performance; (ii) evoke strategies to partially compensate for this deterioration; (iii) affect subjects' emotions and well‐being negatively; and (iv) raise the level of effort and activation. It was also hypothesized that greater frequency and complexity of interruptions would enhance the expected effects. The hypotheses are only partially confirmed. The results show that, contrary to what was expected, interruptions cause people to perform the main task faster while maintaining the level of quality. Participants develop strategies enabling them to deal effectively with the interruptions, while actually over‐compensating the potential performance decline. Interruptions do have a negative impact on emotion and well‐being, and lead to an increase of effort expenditure, although not to an increase in activation. Thus the improved performance is achieved at the expense of higher psychological costs. Greater complexity evoked more favourable responses among the Dutch participants and more unfavourable ones among the Russian participants. These differences are interpreted in terms of the participants' professional background. The research demonstrates that the effects of interruptions reach beyond the execution of additional tasks and the change of work strategies. Interruptions appear to have an after‐effect, influencing the workers' subsequent readiness to perform. Detailed analysis of the activity in the interruption interval, focusing on cognitive processes during episodes of ‘change‐over’ and ‘resumption’ support this interpretation.

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The Zeigarnik Phenomenon Revisited: Implications for Enhancement of Morale

Cited by 9 publications

References 7 publications

Perceived Time as a Measure of Mental Workload: Effects of Time Constraints and Task Success

Perceived Time as a Measure of Mental Workload: Effects of Time Constraints and Task Success

The Effects of Task Interruption on Human Performance: A Study of the Systematic Classification of Human Behavior and Interruption Frequency

Temporal factors in mental work: Effects of interrupted activities

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