Dario D. Salvucci
ABSTRACT
Multitasking in user behavior can be represented along a continuum in terms of the time spent on one task before switching to another. In this paper, we present a theory of behavior along the multitasking continuum, from concurrent tasks with rapid switching to sequential tasks with longer time between switching. Our theory unifies several theoretical effects - the ACT-R cognitive architecture, the threaded cognition theory of concurrent multitasking, and the memory-for-goals theory of interruption and resumption - to better understand and predict multitasking behavior. We outline the theory and discuss how it accounts for numerous phenomena in the recent empirical literature.
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Index Terms
- Toward a unified theory of the multitasking continuum: from concurrent performance to task switching, interruption, and resumption
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Reviews
James H. Bradford
Salvucci, Taatgen, and Borst describe an ongoing effort to create a computational model that accurately emulates how people handle multitasking and task switching. The adaptive control of thought-rational (ACT-R) model is based on a theory about cognitive resource sharing between tasks. The primary resources are declarative memory and procedural problem rehearsal. The model is tested against human behavior in the areas of concurrent multitasking-performing several things at once with attention given to each task in short bursts-and sequential multitasking-performing longer tasks with less frequent task switching. The primary measure of "fit"-between the model and observed human behavior-concerns the delays encountered during task switching. The paper mentions that another plausible measure might focus on error rates, although it does not explore the suggestion in depth. The value of this work is twofold: first, it confirms the importance of cognitive resource competition as an important limiting factor in human performance during multitasking; second, the model has some predictive power about when, how, and if task interruptions should be allowed to occur. ACT-R is not the final word on multitasking, but it is a useful contribution to the growing body of work on task interruption and resumption. This paper will be of interest to designers and researchers in the field of human factors. Online Computing Reviews Service
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