Neurophysiological Measurements in the Research Field of Interruption Science: Insights into Applied Methods for Different Interruption Types based on an Umbrella Review

Interruptions of various types, such as breaks, distractions, interventions, or intrusions, are ubiquitous in our daily lives. Interruption science is an interdisciplinary research field dedicated to the systematic investigation of interruptions, which have become a prevalent phenomenon in the economy and society in recent years. To lay the foundation for a better understanding of human neurophysiology related to the human perception of interruptions, we conducted an umbrella review to examine the applied neurophysiological measurements for different interruption types. We identified 72 empirical studies using a rigorous literature search process. Our analyses revealed three main measurement domains (brain imaging methods, autonomic nervous system activity measurements, and hormone measurements). We describe these three domains with respect to the applied neurophysiological measurements and four interruption types (break, distraction, intervention, and intrusion). Overall, this review provides methodological insights to advance interruption science research from a neurophysiological perspective.