interruptibility

Interruptibility is the degree to which a task, activity, or system can be interrupted by an external event, signal, or prompt, and the cost associated with that interruption. In human contexts, it describes how susceptible attention is to being diverted from a current task. In computing, it refers to whether a process or thread can be paused or pre-empted to handle another event or request.

In human factors, interruptibility depends on factors such as task complexity, cognitive load, time pressure, and context. Interruptions can disrupt focus and increase total completion time, but they can also deliver timely information or prevent errors. The cost of an interruption is often measured by resumption lag, loss of flow, and potential mistakes due to task-switching.

Types of interruptions include external interruptions (notifications, colleagues) and internal interruptions (irrelevant thoughts, fatigue). They can be planned (schedules, meetings) or unplanned, and may occur at varying granularity from a brief prompt to a long disturbance.

In computing, an interrupt is a signal that diverts the processor from its current activity. Hardware interrupts pause execution to service devices, while software interrupts trigger handlers. Interruptibility can be influenced by operating system policies, thread priorities, and power management. Cooperative models require tasks to periodically check for interruption requests.

Management of interruptibility aims to balance responsiveness with focus. Strategies include batching notifications, priority-based interruption, do-not-disturb modes, context-aware disruption, and user-configurable preferences. Measurement often uses resume time, error rate, and perceived workload to guide design choices.

Related concepts include task switching, cognitive load, attention, and distraction management.