Mitigating Interruptions in Digital Reading: Strategic Pauses and Note-Taking for Enhanced Cognitive Performance

This study investigates how structured interventions—specifically pausing at natural breakpoints and guided note-taking—affect cognitive performance, memory retention, and task continuity in digital reading. We introduce SmartPause, a context-aware bookmarking system that nudges users to pause at meaningful points and externalise insights through lightweight notes. In a controlled experiment (N = 51), participants were assigned to one of three conditions: (1) interruption at an arbitrary point, (2) guided pause at a natural breakpoint, or (3) guided pause with note-taking. Results reveal that guided pauses, particularly when combined with note-taking, significantly enhance long-term memory retention while having no measurable impact on perceived cognitive load or selective attention. These findings highlight the potential of digital tools to support cognitive load management and task continuity by structuring interruptions in alignment with natural cognitive rhythms. The high usability rating of SmartPause underscores its practical applicability across e-reading platforms. This study contributes to human-computer interaction (HCI) by integrating principles from cognitive science into design solutions that enhance comprehension and information retention. Future research should explore personalised interventions, extended retention intervals, and real-world deployment to further optimise cognitive load in digital reading contexts.