Boelens, Badal (2026) Juggling Tasks, Managing Emotions: The Role of Goal Perceptions in Employees’ Affective Experiences of Multitasking. Bachelor thesis, Psychology.
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Abstract
Research has consistently shown that multitasking increases cognitive load, fragments attention and impairs task performance. However, little is known about how multitasking influences employees’ affective experiences, particularly negative affect. To investigate the effect of multitasking on negative affect, the current study drew on Affective Events Theory and Goal-Setting Theory to examine whether employees’ multitasking behavior is associated with negative affect and whether this relationship is moderated by the perceived goal attainability. Data were gathered from 199 employees, using self-report measures to assess multitasking, perceived goal attainability and negative affect. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that multitasking did not significantly predict negative affect. Perceived goal attainability, on the other hand, was found to negatively predict negative affect, such that higher perceived goal attainability was associated with lower negative affect. Additionally, there was no evidence of a moderating effect of perceived goal attainability, indicating that multitasking and goal-related appraisals function mostly independently in predicting negative affect. These findings suggest that, particularly when multitasking is perceived as a routine and functional aspect of daily work, motivational evaluations of perceived goal attainability may have a greater influence on employees’ affective experiences at work than multitasking behavior itself. The results highlight how crucial goal-related perceptions are to comprehending and enhancing emotional well-being in modern work environments.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Bachelor) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Devarakonda, S.K. |
| Degree programme: | Psychology |
| Differentiation route: | None [Bachelor Psychology] |
| Date Deposited: | 23 Jan 2026 14:08 |
| Last Modified: | 23 Jan 2026 14:08 |
| URI: | http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/6079 |
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