A Two Steps Model of Media Multi-tasking Switch Behavior and its Performance
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The current study aimed to develop a two-step model integrating Markov chains and exponential density functions to examine Media Multitasking (MM) switch behavior and its impact on performance. The research focused to explore the efficiency of MM switching and the factors influencing it, including task similarity, information flow, and behavioral response requirements. A quantitative approach was employed using data collected from a population of 1,722 university students with a mean age of 20.56 years. The study used stratified random sampling to ensure representative data. Furthermore, the Media Multitasking Index (MMI) questionnaire was adapted to assess weekly usage and simultaneous multitasking across ten media types. The model calibration demonstrated acceptable goodness-of-fit, with a Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of 0.499. The key findings revealed that ease of task-switching is the most significant factor affecting MM performance, followed by information flow and behavioral response requirements. The most frequent MM scenario involved "listening to music", "LINE", "browsing information online", and "replying to email", highlighting the interplay of complementary media characteristics. These results provide a framework to understand MM behavior and its applications in business environments, with implications to improve efficiency and design adaptive strategies for media engagement.
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