Theinfluenceoftaskinterruptionsonindividualdecisionmaking.docVIP

The Influence of Task Interruptions on Individual Decision Making Cheri Speier University of Oklahoma College of Business Administration 206A Adams Hall Norman, OK 73019 405-325-2487 Fax: 405-325-1957 cspeier@ou.edu Joseph S. Valacich Department of Management and Systems College of Business and Economics Todd Hall 340B Washington State University Pullman, WA 99164-4736 509-335-1112 jsv@wsu.edu December 1, 1996 Running head: Task Interruptions Abstract Considerable effort has been expended in identifying characteristics and processes that increase or hinder decision making effectiveness. One such factor, interruptions, has been widely identified as an integral characteristic of a typical work environment. Yet, very little research has been conducted to understand the influence of interruptions on decision making processes and effectiveness. To address this, the results of two experiments are reported. The first experiment examined the influence of interruptions on decision making performance when addressing simple and complex tasks. Interruptions were found to increase the speed of task completion when addressing a simple task and to decrease both the speed and decision performance when addressing a complex task. The second experiment examined specific characteristics of interruptions -- interruption frequency and content -- on decision making performance when addressing complex tasks. Increased interruption frequency was found to decrease both decision speed and performance. Additionally, interruptions similar in content to the primary task led to decreased decision speed over treatments with interruptions that differed in content from the primary task.  The Influence of Task Interruptions on Individual Decision Making Researchers have become increasingly interested in examining factors that influence decision making processes and effectiveness. Although much still remains unknown, what is clear from this past research is that numerous factors have