SEQUENTIAL MULTITASKING DRIVEN BY MOBILE INTERRUPTION AND ITS IMPACT ON LAPTOP USER

Abstract

Recent advances in mobile phone technologies increase the number of potentially disruptive notifications that may cause an interruption to the execution of ongoing tasks. Given that such notification-driven interruptions have a profound impact on users attentional orientation, understanding the intrusiveness of mobile device and its impact on their task execution is a prerequisite to devising systems supporting for better attention management. In this context, the notion of sequential multitasking provides a theoretical lens through which to examine user activity in interaction with such device. Deploying this concept, therefore, this thesis conducted a real-world study that investigates moments for mobile interruptions during the execution of a task on laptop. In so doing, this study aims to determine the patterns of mobile interruptions and identify changes in task flow on laptop after the interruptions. Data were collected using a mixed-methods approach: collection of behavioural data using an automatic activity logging application, which is followed by the semi-structured interview designed to question individual differences with regard to cognitive control in sequential multitasking. Through a parallel analysis of quantitative and qualitative data, four types of mobile notification and their patterns in interrupting the task execution of laptop user were identified. In addition to this, changing patterns in task flow on laptop after mobile interruption were determined. Therefore, this thesis makes a number of contributions to the methodology of studying interruptions caused by mobile devices in situ, understanding user activities in response to the interruptions, and designing devices and systems that support attention management.