{"id":{"repo_id":"ncsu","oai_identifier":"oai:repository.lib.ncsu.edu:1840.16/945"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/ncsu/oai:repository.lib.ncsu.edu:1840.16/945","repository":{"repo_id":"ncsu","name":"North Carolina State University","base_url":"https://repository.lib.ncsu.edu/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"The Effects of Voluntary versus Forced Task Switching on Task Performance","abstract":"Research on task switching has focused on the relatively well known task switching cost, usually defined as an increase in RT on a trial directly following a switch. Two main issues with previous studies suggest that their results may not be applicable to real world scenarios; one, that they typically use short and arbitrary tasks in comparison to real work situations and two, that the vast majority force participants to switch rather than allowing them to do so voluntarily, as is common in the workplace. The current experiment utilized two longer lasting tasks (document proofreading and a Sudoku puzzle) to more closely resemble real world sitations and four task switching groups. One group switched voluntarily, one was forced without warning, one was forced with a cue that a switch would be coming, and one served as a no switch control group. Performance, reaction time, and mental workload (NASA-TLX) were measured. Task switch group produced no differential effects on these variables, and no task switching cost was found. Though the hypothesis were not met, these results lend support to the notion that previous lab studies may not adequately resemble real world scenarios and that micromanaging small tasks, and switching between comparatively longer lasting tasks may not be the same thing. More research on this area may help to produce a better understanding of why people task switch and what they experience cognitively when they do so.","abstract_html":"Research on task switching has focused on the relatively well known task switching cost, usually defined as an increase in RT on a trial directly following a switch. Two main issues with previous studies suggest that their results may not be applicable to real world scenarios; one, that they typically use short and arbitrary tasks in comparison to real work situations and two, that the vast majority force participants to switch rather than allowing them to do so voluntarily, as is common in the workplace. The current experiment utilized two longer lasting tasks (document proofreading and a Sudoku puzzle) to more closely resemble real world sitations and four task switching groups. One group switched voluntarily, one was forced without warning, one was forced with a cue that a switch would be coming, and one served as a no switch control group. Performance, reaction time, and mental workload (NASA-TLX) were measured. Task switch group produced no differential effects on these variables, and no task switching cost was found. Though the hypothesis were not met, these results lend support to the notion that previous lab studies may not adequately resemble real world scenarios and that micromanaging small tasks, and switching between comparatively longer lasting tasks may not be the same thing. More research on this area may help to produce a better understanding of why people task switch and what they experience cognitively when they do so.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Panepinto, Marie"],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Douglas J Gillan, Committee Chair","Christipher B Mayhorn, Committee Member","Anne Collins McLaughlin, Committee Member"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2009,"date_issued":"2009-12-03","date_published":"2009-12-03","updated_at":"2026-08-21T22:21:56Z","subjects":["task switching","cognitive psychology"],"languages":[],"rights":["I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dis sertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to NC State University or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-10292009-105633"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-10292009-105633","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/resolver/1840.16/945","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"source_record":{"url":"https://repository.lib.ncsu.edu/server/oai/request?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=dim&identifier=oai%3Arepository.lib.ncsu.edu%3A1840.16%2F945","prefix":"dim"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Douglas J Gillan, Committee Chair","Christipher B Mayhorn, Committee Member","Anne Collins McLaughlin, Committee Member"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Panepinto, Marie"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2010-04-02T17:59:40Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2010-04-02T17:59:40Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2009-12-03"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["task switching","cognitive psychology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dis sertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to NC State University or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-10292009-105633"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/resolver/1840.16/945"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["North Carolina State University Theses Psychology.;North Carolina State University Theses Psychology."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Research on task switching has focused on the relatively well known task switching cost, usually defined as an increase in RT on a trial directly following a switch. Two main issues with previous studies suggest that their results may not be applicable to real world scenarios; one, that they typically use short and arbitrary tasks in comparison to real work situations and two, that the vast majority force participants to switch rather than allowing them to do so voluntarily, as is common in the workplace. The current experiment utilized two longer lasting tasks (document proofreading and a Sudoku puzzle) to more closely resemble real world sitations and four task switching groups. One group switched voluntarily, one was forced without warning, one was forced with a cue that a switch would be coming, and one served as a no switch control group. Performance, reaction time, and mental workload (NASA-TLX) were measured. Task switch group produced no differential effects on these variables, and no task switching cost was found. Though the hypothesis were not met, these results lend support to the notion that previous lab studies may not adequately resemble real world scenarios and that micromanaging small tasks, and switching between comparatively longer lasting tasks may not be the same thing. More research on this area may help to produce a better understanding of why people task switch and what they experience cognitively when they do so."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["Thesis (M.S.)--North Carolina State University."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Effects of Voluntary versus Forced Task Switching on Task Performance"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Douglas J Gillan, Committee Chair","Christipher B Mayhorn, Committee Member","Anne Collins McLaughlin, Committee Member"],"dc:creator":["Panepinto, Marie"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2010-04-02T17:59:40Z"],"dc:date.available":["2010-04-02T17:59:40Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2009-12-03"],"dc:description":["North Carolina State University Theses Psychology.;North Carolina State University Theses Psychology."],"dc:description.abstract":["Research on task switching has focused on the relatively well known task switching cost, usually defined as an increase in RT on a trial directly following a switch. Two main issues with previous studies suggest that their results may not be applicable to real world scenarios; one, that they typically use short and arbitrary tasks in comparison to real work situations and two, that the vast majority force participants to switch rather than allowing them to do so voluntarily, as is common in the workplace. The current experiment utilized two longer lasting tasks (document proofreading and a Sudoku puzzle) to more closely resemble real world sitations and four task switching groups. One group switched voluntarily, one was forced without warning, one was forced with a cue that a switch would be coming, and one served as a no switch control group. Performance, reaction time, and mental workload (NASA-TLX) were measured. Task switch group produced no differential effects on these variables, and no task switching cost was found. Though the hypothesis were not met, these results lend support to the notion that previous lab studies may not adequately resemble real world scenarios and that micromanaging small tasks, and switching between comparatively longer lasting tasks may not be the same thing. More research on this area may help to produce a better understanding of why people task switch and what they experience cognitively when they do so."],"dc:format":["Thesis (M.S.)--North Carolina State University."],"dc:identifier.other":["etd-10292009-105633"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/resolver/1840.16/945"],"dc:rights":["I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dis sertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to NC State University or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report."],"dc:subject":["task switching","cognitive psychology"],"dc:title":["The Effects of Voluntary versus Forced Task Switching on Task Performance"]},"updated_at":"2026-08-21T22:21:56Z"}