RUcore Resource Object
RUcore Resource Object
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Uniform TitleThe effects of modality of social interruptions on job performance and anxiety
NameGlushakow, Jason M. (author), Aiello, John (chair), Wilder, David (internal member), Ogilvie, Daniel (internal member), Rutgers University, Graduate School - New Brunswick,
Degree Date2007
Date Created2007
SubjectPsychology,
Performance,
Anxiety
DescriptionThe purpose of this study was to examine the effect of social interruptions communicated via different mediums on task performance and on affective measures such as anxiety, stress, and annoyance. The study sought to investigate the effect of a personal visit, phone call, or instant message interruption on individuals working on a simple and a complex task. Participants were randomly assigned to either interruption or non-interruption conditions and to one of the three communication mediums. Twice confederates interrupted interruption participants during the course of the experiment in the medium to which they were assigned (either face-to-face, phone, or instant message). They were interrupted once while they were completing a simple typing task and once while they were completing a complex payroll task. No-interruption participants served as control participants. These individuals were still contacted by confederates. However, they were not contacted while typing or working on the payroll task. Unlike individuals in other interruption conditions, individuals in the instant message interruption condition were impaired on the simple task. Overall, interruption participants suffered impairment on the complex task. Individuals interrupted by phone calls were impaired the most on the complex task. Participants did not report any major differences across conditions' in state anxiety, stress, or annoyance. Implications of these results and possible organizational applications are discussed.
NoteM.S.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references (p. 40-43).
Genretheses
Persistent URLhttp://hdl.rutgers.edu/1782.2/rucore10001600001.ETD.16065
LanguageEnglish
CollectionGraduate School - New Brunswick Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work.