ArticlePloS one2022
Physiological stress in response to multitasking and work interruptions: Study protocol.
Article in PloS one, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed.
- Digital Stress: Insights from Bibliometric, Scientometric, Meta-Analytic and Thematic Analyses.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- The Psychopathology of Problematic Smartphone Use (PSU): A Narrative Review of Burden, Mediating Factors, and Prevention.Health science reports · 2025Review
- The impact of role overload on healthcare workers' psychological distress and well-being: The mediating role of task distraction and moderating roles of resilience and emotional intelligence.PLOS mental health · 2025Article
- Role and Status of Biomarkers in Technostress Research: A Systematic Review.Psychology research and behavior management · 2024Review
- Associations of technostressors at work with burnout symptoms and chronic low-grade inflammation: a cross-sectional analysis in hospital employees.International archives of occupational and environmental health · 2023Article
- Development and validation of the AI attitude scale (AIAS-4): a brief measure of general attitude toward artificial intelligence.Frontiers in psychology · 2023Article
- ForDigitStress: presentation and evaluation of a new laboratory stressor using a digital job interview-scenario.Frontiers in psychology · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe biopsychological response patterns to digital stress have been sparsely investigated so far. Important potential stressors in modern working environments due to increased digitalization are multitasking and work interruptions. In this study protocol, we present a protocol for a laboratory experiment, in which we will investigate the biopsychological stress response patterns to multitasking and work interruptions.
methodsIn total, N = 192 healthy, adult participants will be assigned to six experimental conditions in a randomized order (one single-task, three dual-task (two in parallel and one as interruption), one multitasking, and one passive control condition). Salivary alpha-amylase as well as heart rate as markers for Sympathetic Nervous System Activity, heart rate variability as measure for Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) activity, and cortisol as measure for activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis will be assessed at six time points throughout the experimental session. Furthermore, inflammatory markers (i.e., IL-6, C-reactive protein (CRP), and secretory immunoglobulin-A) will be assessed before and after the task as well as 24 hours after it (IL-6 and CRP only). Main outcomes will be the time course of these physiological stress markers. Reactivity of these measures will be compared between the experimental conditions (dual-tasking, work interruptions, and multitasking) with the control conditions (single-tasking and passive control). DISCUSSION: With this study protocol, we present a comprehensive experiment, which will enable an extensive investigation of physiological stress-responses to multitasking and work interruptions. Our planned study will contribute to a better understanding of physiological response patterns to modern (digital) stressors. Potential risks and limitations are discussed. The findings will have important implications, especially in the context of digital health in modern working and living environments.
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