In the last decades the complexity of work was increasing. Workers have to deal
with a big amount of information coming from several channels. This
circumstance results in an increasing rate of work interruptions and
multitasking demands. The new report of the German BAUA 'Work interruptions and
multitasking' is a comprehensive overview of theories and empiricism under
particular consideration of age differences gives an overview of multitasking
and interruption research in several scientific disciplines. It compares both
concepts and discusses them in relation to age. Possible measures of
multitasking, interruptions and related constructs are presented.

The last chapter establishes a relationship between stress and both concepts.
At first, different stress theories are introduced, followed by empirical
evidence for consequences of multitasking and interruption. Finally a model is
presented, which attempts to visualize the most important factors that
influence the experience of stress related to multitasking and interruptions.

More information

AplusA-online.de - Source: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work