Hey, are you busy right now? stressor appraisals of interruptions to workflow

The present study explored attributes of work interruptions (duration, domain, and urgency) and their impact on appraisals of threat and changes in perceived energy. Participants (N = 290 Amazon Mechanical Turk workers) read and responded to a series of interruption vignettes, appraising each scenario as a threat to personal resources, and evaluating an anticipated impact on their personal energy. Results from a repeated measures ANOVA indicated main effects of each interruption attribute and interactions on appraisals of threat and changes to personal energy. Interruptions characterized by high urgency or long duration were more likely to deplete personal energy, whereas low urgency, short duration, or social interruptions resulted in no changes in personal energy. These findings indicate that some interruption events in the workplace are more threatening than others, however not all interruptions are negative. Study findings indicate that some interruption events are neutral experiences, and some may be potentially energizing