Effects of complexity and similarity of an interruption task on resilience toward interruptions in a procedural task with sequential constraints. [original]

Tara Radovi´

c, Dietrich Manzey

Effects of complexity and similarity of an

interruption task on resilience toward interruptions

in a procedural task with sequential constraints

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https://doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-15349

Citation details

Radovi´

c, T., & Manzey, D. (2022). Effects of complexity and similarity of an interruption task on resilience

toward interruptions in a procedural task with sequential constraints. In Journal of Experimental Psychology:

Human Perception and Performance (Vol. 48, Issue 2, pp. 159–173). American Psychological Association

(APA). https://doi.org/10.1037/xhp0000981.

©American Psychological Association, 2022. This paper is not the copy of record and may not exactly replicate

the authoritative document published in the APA journal. The final article is available, upon publication, at:

https://doi.org/10.1037/xhp0000981

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Effects of Complexity and Similarity of an Interruption Task on Resilience toward

Interruptions in a Procedural Task with Sequential Constraints

Tara Radović

Dietrich Manzey

Technische Universitaet Berlin

Word count: 10644 words

*Corresponding author: Tara Radović (contact: tara.radovic@tu-berlin.de)

Dietrich Manzey (contact: dietrich.manzey@tu-berlin.de)

The goal of the present study was to examine effects of complexity and similarity of

an interruption task on post-interruption performance in an eight-step procedural

task with sequential constraints. In Experiment 1, the primary task was interrupted

between different steps with one of four versions of n-back task, which differed in

complexity (simple, complex) and similarity in processing codes (verbal, spatial) to

the primary task. After the interruption, participants (N = 44) had to resume the

primary task as quickly as possible with the next correct step, i.e., the one following

the step after which the interruption occurred. Post-interruption performance in

terms of resumption times, sequence errors and non-sequence errors was assessed.

Results of Experiment 1 revealed longer resumption times and more sequence

errors after complex interruptions compared to the simple ones. However, effects of

processing-code similarity were less clear. For assessing the effects of similarity in

processing codes again in Experiment 2, participants (N = 41) performed the same

primary task and were interrupted with a verbal or a spatial classification task. The

results revealed no significant effect of processing code on the post-interruption

performance. Moreover, a post-hoc analysis revealed that 1-back (sequential)

interruption led to longer resumption times compared to the classification (non-

sequential) interruption. Overall, our results revealed strong and consistent

detrimental effects of interruption complexity on the post-interruption performance

and no effect of similarity in processing codes. Finally, we provide preliminary

evidence that similarity in sequential structure between the tasks can influence the

resilience toward interruptions.

Statement of significance:

This study pinpoints important aspects of an interruption task, which influence post-

interruption performance. The study confirmed that increasing interruption complexity has

strong detrimental effects on the post-interruption performance, while similarity in terms of

processing codes between the tasks does not seem to play a role. These findings strongly

suggest involvement of general memory processes in resilience toward interruptions, rather

than domain-specific systems proposed by some of the previous research. We provide

preliminary evidence that the similarity in terms of sequential structure between the two

tasks has an impact on post-interruption resumption times. Finally, our study is the first one

to provide empirical evidence for involvement of memory for serial order in execution of

procedural tasks and in interruption management.

Introduction

Remembering how to conduct a procedure consisting of several steps that need to be

executed in a predefined order is present in everyday life and in professional environments.

An example of such a procedure that we encounter daily is preparing espresso using a moka

pot that consists of three parts. To prepare the coffee, one needs to disassemble the pot

first, then to fill the bottom part with water, to place the middle part on the bottom part of

the pot and fill it up with grained coffee, and finally to screw the top part to it. Afterwards,

the mocha pot is ready to be put on a stove to heat up until boiling. While alternating the

optimal order of steps in this type of everyday task does not have serious consequences,

deviating from a prescribed order of steps can impose a serious risk in some other domains.

For example, in high-risk domains, such as medicine or aviation, the correct execution of

strictly defined procedures often is critical and, thus, typically supported by an

implementation of checklists. However, in some cases, also in these domains, procedures

must be retrieved and performed based on memory only. The risk of committing a

procedural error of skipping or repeating a step can have fatal consequences. One important

factor which was shown to significantly elevate the risk of committing such procedural errors

are interruptions, i.e., the unanticipated requirement to perform another task for more of

less long periods while still completing a certain procedure (Dismukes et al., 1998; Drews,

2007; Latorella, 1996; Loukopoulos et al., 2001, 2003; Scott-Cawiezell et al., 2007;

Westbrook et al., 2010).

To examine the effects of interruptions on the performance of procedural tasks in a

laboratory environment, several experimental paradigms such as video-cassette-recorder

(VCR) programming (e.g., Monk et al., 2002) or the UNRAVEL task (Altmann et al., 2014) are

developed, aiming to represent or simulate complex cognitive tasks consisting of several

steps. Research using this type of task as a primary (interrupted) task has confirmed

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