Coping with interruptions in Computer-Mediated Environments: the Role of Computer Experience

In the workplace, technology can cause stress (“techno-stress”), which can erode the very productivity gains sought by the introduction of the technology. To treat this problem, our field must gain a more complete understanding of the factors which cause techno-stress, and of factors which may reduce technology-induced stress. This research-in-progress considers whether computer experience can ameliorate workplace stress caused by technology-mediated interruptions (instant messages, for example). If computer experience is revealed to be a factor in the reduction of techno-stress in this way, inferences may be drawn about the relationships between techno-stress, individual differences, and work conditions. By drawing upon existing research in psychology, we offer the hypotheses that more frequent technology-mediated interruptions cause more technostress, and that computer experience moderates those stressful effects. Ultimately, our assertions must be tested through an experiment, which we describe in this paper.