USER MULTITASKING IN HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION

This paper presents a review of the multitasking literature from the perspective of human-computer interaction(HCI).  Based on Norman's framework that describes the cycle of an action, this review is focused on the variations that emerge in terms of executing actions when users perform multiple tasks concurrently.  Users generally switch computer-based tasks either due to a personal decision to break from the current task or due to an external interruption, such as an electronic notification.  Therefore interruptions generated from notifications are addressed as well.  Studying user multitasking can assist HCI researchers in developing a more comprehensive understanding of how people actually interact with their computers.