Loading...
Play hard, work smart: examining the relationship between playful breaks and productivity
Journal Title
Readers/Advisors
Maynard, Doug, Hirshorn, Elizabeth, Citera, Maryalice
Journal Title
Term and Year
Fall 2024
Publication Date
2024-12
Book Title
Publication Volume
Publication Issue
Publication Begin
Publication End
Number of pages
Collections
Files
Loading...
Jagacki_Thesis.pdf
Adobe PDF, 873.96 KB
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Abstract
This study explored the effects of break activities on task performance, comparing digital play, physical play, and passive social media use. Seventy-six college students completed a letter cross-out task followed by a 3-minute break, then resumed the task for additional trials. Contrary to expectations from previous ego-depletion studies, performance remained stable across all trials, with no significant evidence of cognitive fatigue or differences in post-break recovery between conditions. Trends suggested that physical play offered mild recovery benefits, with smaller performance declines compared to digital play and social media, though these differences were not statistically significant. Self-reported measures of break enjoyment, task disengagement, subjective productivity, and post-break refreshment also favored physical play as the most restorative activity, although not statistically significant. These findings challenge traditional ego depletion models and emphasize the need for more robust task designs and recovery metrics to better understand the dynamics of fatigue and performance recovery.
Citation
DOI
Description
Accessibility Statement
If this SOAR repository item is not accessible to you (e.g. able to be used in the context of a disability), please email libraryaccessibility@newpaltz.edu