User Performance in the Face of IT Interruptions: The Role of Executive Functions

Information systems (IS) research has studied the consequences of IT interruption on user performance. However, our knowledge thus far of the cognitive mechanisms involved in processing different interruption types is limited. In response to this research gap, the present research-in-progress paper proposes that IT intrusions (unnecessary interruptions) and IT interventions (relevant interruptions) impose different types of load on users’ cognitive resources. The study employs a self-regulation framework and borrows from the literature on executive functions (EFs), which are a set of general-purpose cognitive processes that control thought and actions. The moderating role of individuals’ differences in terms of three EF capabilities as well as the effect of EF loads on task performance are hypothesized. A three-factor (Interruption Frequency × Interruption Type × Executive Function Capability) mixed-design experiment using electroencephalography is proposed to test the generated hypotheses.