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In the constantly evolving world of software development, switching back andforth between tasks has become the norm. While task switching often allowsdevelopers to perform tasks effectively and may increase creativity via theflexible pathway, there are also consequences to frequent task-switching. Forhigh-momentum tasks like software development, "flow", the highly productivestate of concentration, is paramount. Each switch distracts the developers'flow, requiring them to switch mental state and an additional immersion periodto get back into the flow. However, the wasted time due to time fragmentationcaused by task switching is largely invisible and unnoticed by developers andmanagers. We conducted a survey with 141 software developers to investigatetheir perceptions of differences between task switching and task interruptionand to explore whether they perceive task switchings as disruptive asinterruptions. We found that practitioners perceive considerable similaritiesbetween the disruptiveness of task switching (either planned or unplanned) andrandom interruptions. The high level of cognitive cost and low performance arethe main consequences of task switching articulated by our respondents. Ourfindings broaden the understanding of flow change among software practitionersin terms of the characteristics and categories of disruptive switches as wellas the consequences of interruptions caused by daily stand-up meetings.

Two Sides of the Same Coin: Software Developers' Perceptions of Task Switching and Task Interruption