Research

The studies most directly shaping TIM.

This library is intentionally tight. Each note maps to a concrete product decision around real-time capture, attention, interruption costs, recovery context, or better weekly review.

8 evidence notesShort summaries with original sources

Research library

Open any card for a faster read: what the evidence says, why it matters, how TIM applies it, and the original paper or source.

Behavior Change2 sources

Self-monitoring works best when feedback closes the loop.

The useful lesson from behavior-change research is not simply that people track. It is that a truthful record becomes far more powerful once it turns into feedback people can immediately use.

Attention1 source

Task switching leaves residue behind.

Attention residue research helps explain why fragmented days can feel much worse than they look on paper: part of the mind can stay attached to the previous unfinished task after a switch.

Interruptions2 sources

Interruptions raise workload and thin out real progress.

Interruption research suggests that noisy work is not expensive only because it is annoying. It increases workload, distorts task flow, and makes completion less reliable.

Measurement2 sources

Track close to the moment. Memory edits the day fast.

Measurement research repeatedly points in the same direction: the farther a log moves from the moment it describes, the more likely it is to be cleaned up by memory instead of recorded honestly.

Goal Review2 sources

Goals improve when progress is reviewed, not just declared.

Goal research is most useful when it shifts attention away from aspiration and toward review. A target becomes much more valuable once the user can see whether behavior is actually moving toward it.

Recovery Context2 sources

Sleep and activity do not replace time data. They sharpen it.

Recovery and movement data are most useful when they explain why the same schedule can feel different across weeks. They should clarify the pattern, not compete with it.

Planning Bias2 sources

People are usually too optimistic about how long work will take.

Planning-fallacy research is a reminder that intention is not a trustworthy proxy for time. People routinely predict shorter completion times than reality delivers, even when they have relevant past experience.

Recovery2 sources

Recovery gets weaker when work keeps following you after hours.

Research on psychological detachment suggests that recovery is not only about stopping work physically. It also depends on whether work continues to occupy attention once the formal day is over.