interrupting

Interrupting refers to the act of stopping or delaying the progress of a process in order to inject information, request clarification, or change the course of action. It occurs in human communication as well as in computing and other technical contexts. In everyday conversation, interrupting can be intentional or unintentional and is influenced by social norms, context, and power dynamics. Cultural expectations about turn-taking and politeness shape what is considered acceptable.

In human interaction, interruptions can serve several purposes, such as seeking clarification, preventing misunderstanding, asserting control over a discussion, or offering a brief reaction. They may appear as overlapping speech, interjections, or back-channel comments. Etiquette generally emphasizes listening, allowing the speaker to finish, and apologizing if one interrupts.

In computing, an interrupt is a signal that causes the processor to temporarily suspend its current tasks to handle a high-priority event. Hardware interrupts originate from devices and may indicate input or status changes; software interrupts are generated by programs. Interrupt handling often involves an interrupt service routine, prioritization, and masking of lower-priority interrupts to limit latency. After the handler executes, control returns to the previously running task.

Across domains, managing interruptions—whether to a conversation, a real-time system, or an application—affects efficiency, cognition, and user experience. Effective handling aims to balance responsiveness with disruption, reducing unnecessary interruptions while ensuring timely attention to critical events.