All at once? The effects of multitasking behavior on flow and subjective performance

Multitasking behaviour is a prevalent coping strategy to deal with stressful work-demands. There is evidence from laboratory studies that multitasking behaviour decreases performance quality and shows an inverted u-shaped relationship with performance quantity. Based on the Brixey Model of Interruption and on assumptions of the Zeigarnik Effect, we postulate that reduced flow experience mediates negative effects of multitasking behaviour on performance. To investigate this assumption, we conducted a field study (Experience Sampling Method, 60 participants, 494 points of measurements). Using multilevel analysis, we found evidence for the postulated negative linear relationship between multitasking behaviour and flow. Flow had positive effects on performance. Also as postulated, we found a negative indirect effect of multitasking behaviour via flow on performance. However, the direct effect of multitasking behaviour on performance was positive. Our study provides the first evidence that flow transmits negative effects of multitasking behaviour on performance. At the same time, and confirming earlier research, there seem to be other mechanisms (possibly increased arousal) transmitting positive effects of multitasking behaviour on performance.