Research Gap · Focus & Action · Ready for resolution review
What kinds of interventions reliably reduce avoidable task switching and help people sustain useful attention in everyday work?
Prefer randomized or controlled field/lab evidence that separates subjective focus from task performance.
Still open. A reviewed Evidence Decision and trusted Topic protocol exist, but no explicit closure record exists yet.
Evidence boundary
Do not turn one timer length, blocker, or notification setting into a universal optimum.
Discovery queries
task switching interruptions sustained attention workplace systematic reviewtask interruption resumption planning attention residue workplace experiment reviewcontext switching interruptions knowledge work performance attention systematic reviewcommunication notifications interruptions workplace performance strain experiment systematic review
Research candidates
- Effects of task interruptions caused by notifications from communication applications on strain and performance · support-existing · 2023-06-06
- Batching smartphone notifications can improve well-being · propose-protocol · 2019-12-01
- Blocking mobile internet on smartphones improves sustained attention, mental health, and subjective well-being · propose-protocol · 2025-02-18
- Tasks Interrupted: How Anticipating Time Pressure on Resumption of an Interrupted Task Causes Attention Residue and Low Performance on Interrupting Tasks and How a Ready-to-Resume Plan Mitigates the Effects · propose-protocol · 2018-05-11
- Give me a break! A systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy of micro-breaks for increasing well-being and performance · support-existing · 2022-08-31
- Consider it done! Plan making can eliminate the cognitive effects of unfulfilled goals · support-existing · 2011-10-01
Reviewed Evidence Decisions
- Give me a break! A systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy of micro-breaks for increasing well-being and performance · support-existing · reviewed 2026-08-22
- Blocking mobile internet on smartphones improves sustained attention, mental health, and subjective well-being · propose-protocol · reviewed 2026-08-27
- Batching smartphone notifications can improve well-being · propose-protocol · reviewed 2026-09-11
- Effects of task interruptions caused by notifications from communication applications on strain and performance · support-existing · reviewed 2026-09-11
- Tasks Interrupted: Ready-to-Resume Plan · propose-protocol · reviewed 2026-09-11
Trusted Topic protocols
- Alternate Focused Work With Real Breaks · practical
- Batch Non-Urgent Notifications Instead of Receiving Them All Day · reviewed
- Create a Clear Handoff Between Two Activities · practical
- Deliberate Attention Switching with Everyday Sounds · reviewed
- Leave a Ready-to-Resume Note Before You Switch Tasks · reviewed
Closure rule
Brali does not close this gap because a paper exists or because a protocol sounds plausible. Closure requires an explicit resolution whose reviewed Evidence Decisions map to this Topic and whose referenced protocols are present in the trusted protocol feed for the same Topic.