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Boredom is a common workplace problem. Previous research has suggested that repetitive and monotonous work tasks may lead to boredom. However, these tasks have been reduced due to increased workplace automation. Thus, the current cause of boredom may be due to low mental workload. This research developed a general boredom model and compared the effects of feedback type (performance and ranking) and intervention method (game and quiz) on boredom and task performance. Results revealed that the secondary task interventions can reduce boredom and feedback could shorten the response time. Gender also had a significant influence on response time. Notably, results revealed a 4% probability of task failure during the experiment, indicating other interventions are also required. This research indicates that interventions to reduce boredom caused by low mental workload should be designed differently from tasks that have been designed to combat the boredom caused by repetitive and monotonous work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both researchers and practitioners agree that having highly engaged employees results in individuals and organizations reaping various positive consequences related to performance and absenteeism. However, available research syntheses date from the early years of this line of research, thus cover only a small fraction (under 10%) of the available studies. The present meta-analysis updates the results of work engagement and its three facets (vigour, dedication, and absorption) on task performance and includes a substantial number of studies on absenteeism with separate analyses of longitudinal studies. A total of 179 unique correlations representing an overall sample size of N = 139,182 was examined, confirming and enhancing a positive association between work engagement and task performance (ρ =.483) and a negative association between work engagement and absenteeism (ρ = −.171). The three facets of engagement had similar effects on performance, but only vigour and dedication correlated significantly negatively with absenteeism. Work engagement is linked positively to future task performance and negatively to future absenteeism. The influence of several methodical moderators is examined. Finally, we discuss how these findings can inform research and practice in order to contribute to a more effective and healthy work environment for employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have used the Fitts' Law to predict the performance of pointing task on touch screens. It was found that moving distance, target width, and the direction of motion would affect the task performance. The present research aimed to investigate the impact of the initial and terminal positions (ITPs) on pointing performance in two Exps. ITPs were divided into two categories: center of a screen and outer of a screen (center ↔ outer) pointing, and outer of a screen to outer of a screen (outer→outer) pointing. In Exp 1, 30 participants performed the center ↔ outer pointing tasks with 8 directions. The results showed that the outer → center movement was significantly faster than the center → outer at 45°, 90°, and 180°. In Exp 2, 30 participants performed the outer → outer pointing tasks with eight directions. The current study revealed that the ITPs influenced the performance of the pointing task, possibly due to human biomechanical characteristics associated with different movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of biometric data (BD) records promises to advance the software engineering field. The rapid adoption of wearable computing technology has widely increased the amount of BD records available. Several aspects about the use of BD records in software engineering field are unknown, such as body measurements used to support daily tasks, and empirical methods that are used to evaluate their benefits. Consequently, a thorough understanding of state-of-the-art techniques still remains limited. This article, therefore, aims at providing a classification and a thematic analysis of studies on the use of BD records in the context of software development. Moreover, it seeks to introduce a classification taxonomy, and pinpoints research gaps, challenges and trends. A systematic mapping of the literature was designed and performed based on well-established practical guidelines. In total, 40 primary studies were analysed and categorised, which were selected by applying a careful filtering process from a sample of 3930 studies to answer seven research questions. Over 77% of articles use more than one biometric aspect to analyse tasks performed by developers; over 47% of articles used eye-track sensor to analyse biometric factors, followed by brain-wearable sensors with 40%, skin sensor with 22%, cardiac sensor with 20%, and others fewer representatives; most studies analysed had their quality assessed as high; most studies were published in journal. This study provides a systematic map of studies that use BD records in software engineering, thereby serving as a basis for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to systematically analyze the literature surrounding dual-task (DT) effects on gait in typically developing children (TDC) and to conduct meta-analyses where applicable. After reviewing the abstracts of 676 articles, a total of 22 studies were included. The outcomes of interest were relative change in gait speed, cadence, stride length, double support time, variability in stride length between single and DT walking; and the exposures were concurrent tasks used for DT gait assessment. DT significantly affected each gait parameter (point estimate (PE), ranged from PE, -0.10; 95% CI, -0.13 to -0.08; p < .001 to PE, -0.66; 95% CI, -0.94 to -0.38; p < .001). The strength of DT effects varied by the concurrent task used. The greatest DT effect on gait speed, which was the most commonly presented outcome, was reported when upper extremity complex functional tasks (PE, -0.36; 95% CI, -0.49 to -0.23; p < .001, fine motor tasks (PE, -0.35; 95% CI, -0.38 to -0.32; p < .001), and verbal fluency tasks (PE, -0.26; 95% CI, -0.30 to -0.21; p < .001) were completed concurrently with gait. Children and adolescents experience performance decrements when they walk under DT conditions. Concurrent tasks differentially affect the degree of DT interference for each gait parameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of motor variability is an essential step towards understanding a subject's working activity. This study aims to assess within-subject and between-subject variability and the intrinsic factors that drive variability during a clip fitting task in the laboratory. Muscular activity is recorded on six muscles of each upper limb. Four metrics are used: two characterizing muscular load and two characterizing intra-clip fitting dispersion. Factor analyses and muscle-by-muscle analyses are conducted. Independent variables linked to subject characteristics and to task performance are considered. Factor analysis reveals the combined activity of the different muscles. The short and highly constrained task shows both within-subject variability and between-subject variability. The latter predominates. Each of the independent variables induces a variability which affects the muscular load metrics, although only a few affect the within-clip fitting dispersion. The muscle-by-muscle and factorial score analyses results are consistent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research has focused on assessing either event- or time-based prospective memory (PM) using laboratory tasks. Yet, the findings pertaining to PM performance on laboratory tasks are often inconsistent with the findings on corresponding naturalistic experiments. Ecologically valid neuropsychological tasks resemble the complexity and cognitive demands of everyday tasks, offer an adequate level of experimental control, and allow a generalisation of the findings to everyday performance. The Virtual Reality Everyday Assessment Lab (VR-EAL), an immersive virtual reality neuropsychological battery with enhanced ecological validity, was implemented to comprehensively assess everyday PM (i.e., focal and non-focal event-based, and time-based). The effects of the length of delay between encoding and initiating the PM intention and the type of PM task on everyday PM performance were examined. The results revealed that everyday PM performance was affected by the length of delay rather than the type of PM task. The effect of the length of delay differentially affected performance on the focal, non-focal, and time-based tasks and was proportional to the PM cue focality (i.e., semantic relationship with the intended action). This study also highlighted methodological considerations such as the differentiation between functioning and ability, distinction of cue attributes, and the necessity of ecological validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on Swedish preschool managers' views of their tasks and daily work: activities, conditions, challenges and ideas on leadership. Five preschool managers were asked to write diary notes during a couple of weeks at work. Through the analysis process, we were inspired by Yukl's hierarchical behaviour taxonomy. The taxonomy divides leadership behaviours into four parts, task-oriented, relations-oriented, change-oriented and external. The taxonomy was used in terms of positions the managers navigate between, rather than considering them as being bearers of certain behaviours. Data indicate that these preschool managers mainly use the task-oriented and the relation-oriented position. We noticed that they also activate positions oriented to change and external contacts and network building, but to a significantly lesser extent. They solve all kind of problems and many of their stories are about how they strive to meet the needs of children, parents and staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior work showed that leadership preferences depend not only on followers' characteristics, but also on contextual features. We investigated how regulatory mode (assessment – a concern with "getting things right" vs. locomotion – a concern with "getting things done" in goal pursuit) and the definition of quality criteria (i.e. whether or not there are predefined standards to evaluate task or work performance) jointly influence followers' preferences for directive and participative leadership. We measured (Study 1, N = 503) and experimentally induced (Study 2, N = 497) followers' regulatory mode before presenting them with task instructions that either clearly defined quality criteria or left them undefined. In both studies, participants were led to believe that they would work on a task with a supervising leader and indicated their preferred leader style for the task. Contrary to predictions, results do not suggest that the definition of quality criteria moderates the influence of followers' regulatory mode on their leadership preferences. Independent of quality criteria conditions, both chronic assessment and locomotion predicted preferences for directive leadership; additionally, chronic locomotion strongly predicted preferences for participative leadership. However, the induced regulatory mode did not influence leadership preferences. Further work is needed to better understand the role of context in self-regulatory dynamics and leadership style preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

System dialog messages are often troublesome for mobile users. In this study, behavioral experiments were conducted on 18 younger (age; 24.7 ± 1.7) and 18 older (63.8 ± 2.0) age groups using mobile devices. In the experiment, system dialog messages were popped up on a smartphone as an interruption in the task switching process, and which attributes of the dialog messages (the amount of jargon and length of the message) significantly affected the performance of the whole task switching process was observed. The results showed that the younger participants did not show significant differences in their task switching performance according to the attributes of the dialog message. However, the older participants showed increased task performance time for the interruption task with extensive jargon. Furthermore, the older participants also revealed difficulty transferring information as they resumed the primary task just after processing the interrupting dialog messages, suggested by correlations between temporal and subjective workload responses. Based on the analysis results, we proposed some guidelines to design system dialog messages for older mobile device users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The question of what type of attention is associated with creative potential has predominantly been examined using divergent thinking tasks and without the benefits of cognitive neuroscience methods. To address this gap, we rely on a neural approach by indexing attention using the P50 ERP component. The P50 measures sensory gating, which is the brain's ability to filter out or inhibit responses to repeated stimuli. We analyze the relationships between neural responses to P50 and performance on two tasks designed to measure creative potential: a convergent task and a divergent task. While we did not find evidence of a relationship between attention and the originality component of divergent thinking, our results show that leaky attention was positively associated with the fluency component of divergent thinking but negatively associated with performance on the convergent thinking task. This result highlights that the relationship between attention and performance on creative tasks may depend on the type of task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study aimed to analyze movement control strategies using predefined criteria for amplitude and differences in these strategies between children with and without DCD. Children with (n = 28) and without DCD (n = 15) were included. A video-observation-tool was used to score the moving body parts during a Wii Fit slalom task over multiple time points. Two-step cluster analysis was used to extract distinct movement strategies. Two different movement strategies were identified that were independently validated by a measure of task performance and a subjective mark of quality of the movement. Initial differences between groups and changes over time toward the more successful strategy were found in both groups, albeit in a different percentage. This study shows that the more efficient movement strategy is seen in the majority of the TD children and only in a small number of children with DCD, even after practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Studies have documented both executive functions (EF) impairment in children with Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD) and Theory of Mind (ToM), yielding mixed results, possibly because of a variety of tasks used, all requiring different levels of language skills. Aim: To investigate the relationship between ToM and EF with non-language-based tasks. Methods: Thirty ADHD (7–9 years old) were compared to thirty controls (age and IQ matched). Participants’ ToM was assessed using the Animated Triangles task and two EF tasks, namely spatial control test, the Stockings Of Cambridge (SOC) and rule and acquisition test, the Intra–Extra Dimensional set shift (IED)— from the neuropsychological battery of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). Results: ADHD group had a significant ToM and EF impairment relative to the control group. ToM was not significantly correlated with EF; however, the performance on IED tasks affected the performance on ToM tasks. Discussion: The study provides evidence for a link between the abilities to attribute correct mental states to others, planning and shifting attention in ADHD children, suggesting the ability to rely on cognitive flexibility in the face of a changing environment plays a role in explaining the association between ToM and EF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess divided-attention performance when driving under the influence of cannabis with and without alcohol. Three divided-attention tasks were performed following administration of placebo, cannabis, and/or alcohol. Healthy adult cannabis users participated in 6 sessions, receiving combinations of cannabis (placebo/low-THC/high-THC) and alcohol (placebo/active) in randomized order, separated by washout periods of ≥1 week. At 0.5 hours post-dosing, participants performed simulator drives in the University of Iowa National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS-1), a full vehicle cab simulator with a 360° horizontal field of view and motion base that provides realistic feedback. Drives contained repeated instances of three tasks: a side-mirror task (reaction to a triangle appearing in the side-mirrors), an artist-search task (select a specified artist from a navigable menu on the vehicle's console), and a message-reading task (read aloud a message displayed on the console). Blood THC and breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) were interpolated using individual power curves from samples collected approximately 0.17, 0.42, 1.4, and 2.3 hours post-dose. Driving measures during tasks were compared to equal-duration control periods occurring just prior to the task. Performance shifts, task completion, and lane departures were modeled relative to blood THC and BrAC using mixed-effects regression models. Each 1 µg/L increase in blood THC concentration predicted increased odds of failing to complete the artist-search task (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.01-1.11, p = 0.046), increased odds of selecting at least one incorrect response (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.00-1.09, p = 0.041), declines in speed during the side-mirror task (0.005 m/s, 95% CI: 0.001-0.009, p = 0.023), and longer lane departure durations during the artist-search task (0.74% of task-period, 95% CI: 0.12-1.36 p = 0.020). BrAC (approximately 0.05%) was not associated with task performance, though each 0.01 g/210 L increase predicted longer departure durations during the side-mirror task (1.41% of task-period, 95% CI: 0.08-2.76, p = 0.040) and increased standard deviation of lane position in the message-reading task (0.61 cm, 95% CI: 0.14-1.08, p = 0.011). With increasing medical and legal cannabis use, understanding the impact of acute cannabis use on driving performance, including divided-attention, is essential. These data indicate that impaired divided-attention performance is a safety concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies examined the association between motivational characteristics and language learning achievement, but considerably less is known about young language learners' task-specific motivation in assessment contexts. Our study investigated the task motivation of young learners of English when completing computer-administered integrated test tasks, and the relationship between task performance and test task motivation. Hundred and four learners aged between 11 and 15 years completed three computer-administered assessment tasks: a Listen-Write task, which required a summary of a listening text, and two Listen-Speak tasks, in which learners had to retell a listening text with academic and non-academic content, respectively. Participants also filled in a task-motivation questionnaire, containing items on appraisals of task difficulty, task-related emotions and anxiety, effort and subjective competence. The results indicated that the young learners held positive views on the integrated assessment tasks. Nevertheless, they found the Listen-Speak tasks significantly more difficult, more anxiety-provoking and less enjoyable than the Listen-Write task and they judged their competence to be lower than in the Listen-Write task. Task-motivational factors accounted for a low level of variation in task performance. These findings have important implications for the design and use of computer-administered integrated tasks in assessing young L2 learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation assessed the impact of three cognitively demanding tasks on cognitive performance, subjective, and physiological indicators of mental fatigue. Following familiarization, participants completed four testing sessions, separated by 48 h. During each session, participants watched a 45-min emotionally neutral documentary (control) or completed one of the following computer tasks: Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT); AX-Continuous Performance Test (AX-CPT); or Stroop Task. Mental fatigue was assessed before and at regular periods for 60 min following the 45-min treatments. Cognitive performance was assessed using 3-min PVT, and task performance. Subjective assessments were conducted using the Brunel Mood Scale, and visual analog scales (VAS). Physiological indicators of mental fatigue included electroencephalography (EEG), and heart rate variability (HRV). Subjective ratings of mental fatigue increased from pre to 0-min post in all-treatments, but not the documentary (p < 0.05). Subjective fatigue (VAS) remained higher (p < 0.05) than pretreatment values for 20-, 50-, and 60-min following the PVT, Stroop, and AX-CPT respectively. The cognitively demanding tasks had unclear effects on 3-min PVT, EEG, and HRV assessments. Tasks requiring response inhibition appear to induce fatigue for longer durations than a simple vigilance task. Simple VAS appear to be the most practical method for assessing mental fatigue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using slide-based task in a laboratory setting, previous studies have found that activation of the rostral prefrontal cortex (BA10) is related to prospective memory performance. In this present study, we used immersive virtual reality (VR) technology to measure PM performance in a real-life task in a simulated virtual environment. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy was used simultaneously to record the rostral prefrontal cortex activities of the subjects. By comparing the data against the ones from the slide-based task, the result suggested that the activation of BA10 in the VR tasks were greater than the one in the slide-based tasks, and the VR tasks have the potential to identify the particular location of BA10 that is connected to the PM performance in our daily lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated whether individuals can predict their future prospective memory (PM) performance in a lab-based task and in a naturalistic task. Metacognitive awareness was assessed by asking participants to give judgments-of-learning (JOLs) on an item-level for the prospective (that something has to be done) and retrospective (what to do) PM component. In addition, to explore whether giving predictions influences PM performance, we compared a control group (without predictions) to a prediction group. Results revealed that giving predictions did not change PM performance. Moreover, participants were underconfident in their PM performance in the lab-based task, while they were overconfident in the naturalistic task. In addition, item-level JOLs indicated that they were inaccurate in predicting what items they will recall or not, but only for the prospective component of the PM task. As for the retrospective component, they were equally accurate in both task settings. This study suggests a dissociation of metacognitive awareness for PM according to both task setting and processing component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to gain more insight in the assessment of noise in open-plan study environments and to reveal correlations between noise disturbance experienced by students and the noise sources they perceive, the tasks they perform and the acoustic parameters of the open-plan study environment they work in. Data were collected in five open-plan study environments at universities in the Netherlands. A questionnaire was used to investigate student tasks, perceived sound sources and their perceived disturbance, and sound measurements were performed to determine the room acoustic parameters. This study shows that 38% of the surveyed students are disturbed by background noise in an open-plan study environment. Students are mostly disturbed by speech when performing complex cognitive tasks like studying for an exam, reading and writing. Significant but weak correlations were found between the room acoustic parameters and noise disturbance of students. Practitioner Summary:A field study was conducted to gain more insight in the assessment of noise in open-plan study environments at universities in the Netherlands. More than one third of the students was disturbed by noise. An interaction effect was found for task type, source type and room acoustic parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online support groups are attractive to individuals suffering from various types of mental and physical illness due to their accessibility, convenience, and comfort level. Individuals coping with depression, in particular, may seek social support online to avoid the stigma that accompanies face-to-face support groups. We explored how task and relational messages created social support in online depression support groups using Cutrona and Suhr’s social support coding scheme and Bales’s Interaction Process Analysis coding scheme. A content analysis revealed emotional support as the most common type of social support within the group, although the majority of messages were task rather than relational. Informational support consisted primarily of task messages, whereas network and esteem support were primarily relational messages. Specific types of task and relational messages were associated with different support types. Results indicate task messages dominated online depression support groups, suggesting the individuals who participate in these groups are interested in solving problems but may also experience emotional support when their uncertainty is reduced via task messages. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Trade economists increasingly relate the offshoring of service occupations to occupational task characteristics. This article provides empirical insights into this relationship and supports the importance of the task dimension as a determinant of offshoring patterns. The results further suggest that offshoring is a multidimensional phenomenon and it is advisable to use a comprehensive set of tasks in the empirical analysis to capture most of the relevant offshorability characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]