research-article

Focused, Aroused, but so Distractible: Temporal Perspectives on Multitasking and Communications

Authors:

Mary Czerwinski, and

Paul JohnsAuthors Info & Claims

CSCW '15: Proceedings of the 18th ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work & Social Computing

February 2015

Pages 903 - 916

https://doi.org/10.1145/2675133.2675221

Published: 28 February 2015 Publication History

Abstract

A common assumption in studies of interruptions is that one is focused in an activity and then distracted by other stimuli. We take the reverse perspective and examine whether one might first be in an attentional state that makes one susceptible to communications typically associated with distraction. We explore the confluence of multitasking and workplace communications from three temporal perspectives -- prior to an interaction, when tasks and communications are interleaved, and at the end of the day. Using logging techniques and experience sampling, we observed 32 employees in situ for five days. We found that certain attentional states lead people to be more susceptible to particular types of interaction. Rote work is followed by more Facebook or face-to-face interaction. Focused and aroused states are followed by more email. The more time in email and face-fo-face interaction, and the more total screen switches, the less productive people feel at the day's end. We present the notion of emotional homeostasis along with new directions for multitasking research.

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Zheng JGao G(2024)Fragmented Moments, Balanced Choices: How Do People Make Use of Their Waiting Time?Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3613904.3642608(1-14)Online publication date: 11-May-2024
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Ferguson SMassimi M(2024)Circle Back Next Week: The Effect of Meeting-Free Weeks on Distributed Workers’ Unstructured Time and Attention NegotiationProceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3613904.3642175(1-17)Online publication date: 11-May-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3613904.3642175
Monge Roffarello ADe Russis L(2024)Hey StepByStep! Can you teach me how to use my phone better?International Journal of Human-Computer Studies10.1016/j.ijhcs.2023.103195183:COnline publication date: 14-Mar-2024
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Index Terms

Focused, Aroused, but so Distractible: Temporal Perspectives on Multitasking and Communications
1. Human-centered computing
  1. Collaborative and social computing
2. Social and professional topics
  1. Computing / technology policy

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cover image ACM Conferences

CSCW '15: Proceedings of the 18th ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work & Social Computing

February 2015

1956 pages

ISBN:9781450329224

DOI:10.1145/2675133

General Chairs:
Dan Cosley
Cornell University, USA
,
Andrea Forte
Drexel University, USA
,
Program Chairs:
Luigina Ciolfi
Sheffield Hallam University, UK
,
David McDonald
University of Washington, USA

Copyright © 2015 ACM.

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Published: 28 February 2015

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CSCW '15

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SIGCHI

CSCW '15: Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing

March 14 - 18, 2015

BC, Vancouver, Canada

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CSCW '15 Paper Acceptance Rate 161 of 575 submissions, 28%;

Overall Acceptance Rate 2,235 of 8,521 submissions, 26%

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https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3613904.3642608
Ferguson SMassimi M(2024)Circle Back Next Week: The Effect of Meeting-Free Weeks on Distributed Workers’ Unstructured Time and Attention NegotiationProceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3613904.3642175(1-17)Online publication date: 11-May-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3613904.3642175
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https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2023.103195
Lin CWu CHuang PLai YHo YChung CChang Y(2023)Scanning or Simply Unengaged in Reading? Opportune Moments for Pushed News Notifications and Their Relationship with Smartphone Users' Choice of News-reading ModesProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36042687:MHCI(1-26)Online publication date: 13-Sep-2023
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