Sokka, L. 1, 2 , Kalakoski, V. 1 , Haavisto, M. 3 , Korpela, J. 1 , Henelius, A. 1 , Lukander, J. 1 & Huotilainen, M. 1, 2
1 Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Brain and Technology Team. Helsinki, Finland.
2 Institute of Behavioural Sciences. University of Helsinki. Helsinki, Finland.
3 Psychology Publications. Helsinki, Finland.
Frequent switching between different cognitive tasks is required in a variety of real life situations and work assignments. We studied whether a major concern across occupations, i.e. job burnout, is associated with the task switching ability. Studies on cognitive performance and task switching in job burnout are scarce. The participants in our preliminary study were 17 currently working IT experts and managers with different degrees of burnout. The severity of burnout symptoms were determined by the total score of the Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey. The burnout group and healthy comparison participants were matched on age, gender and education. The Number-Letter task was used to measure task switching cost. Performance data and event-related potentials (ERP) were recorded. The results of the ERP data showed differences in the two groups: burnout participants displayed larger P3a amplitudes than the control group in both the repetition and the task switching trials. In the performance data, no differences were found in switching costs between the groups. Consequently, our results indicate differences in physiological functioning in relation to task switching even in a fairly mild burnout group compared to healthy comparisons.