The Myth of Multitasking

For years I've been telling anyone who'll listen that multi-tasking is a nonsense. Good to read that my feelings/views on the subject are borne out.

The body can only do as it's told which means that it responds to any thought or feeling we have. Try this at home if you like but what I've just said that be proved by banging a nail into a wall with a hammer. If while you're holding the nail steady as you hit it you allow your mind to wander chances are you'll hit your hand or fingers.

All thinking is directional - in my view, that's what thought are for, for directing the flow of energy.
The flow of energy is naturally wild but we can control it to suit our objectives. For example, it's like driving driving a car. To drive forwards you shift the gearstick into gear (or the automatic does it for you). To drive backwards (which strictly isn't backwards but forwards since you'd normally turn your body around to see the direction in which you're heading), you have to first come out of forward gear then go into neutral before engaging the reverse gear.

All feeling is harmonious. Hence, the combination of thought and feeling maintains balance and harmony. Anything that happens to interfere with the subtle link between thought and feeling will cause an upset or confusion at psychological level. Confusion is simply thought and feeling in a muddle, which is why straightening out gets oneself together. Attempting to do more than one thing at a time (so called multi-tasking) cannot be done because our internal systems aren't able to go in in more than one direction at a time.

What these studies always seem to ignore is that many tasks are enhanced by performing them together (e.g., listening to music while cleaning dishes). Certain tasks done individually are so mind-numbing that an additional task makes them bearable.

would love to know more about women and multitasking
I had a senior executive from a telecom biggie attend my training and would simply not adhere to the ground rules of no cellular and laptops during training. she would keep insisting she is a multi-tasker and be disruptive. Needless to add when there was the final toll; gate exercise she was the worst in performance and ideation

I disagree with what the article was saying, becuase we werent really multitalsking we were swiching back and forth between things.

Having people write two different things at the same time is kinda dumb.
Why do I say this?
Because multitasking usually involves two different activities.
Multitasking writing two things isn't multitasking.
This is simply writing two things in a confusing way.

I suggest they get one where perhaps -

1.) Say "I am a GREAT multitasker, but this study thinks otherwise"
2.) Write numbers 1-20 on a paper.

Do the tasks one after another -
Then at the same time

--- Then we can check the times and this would be more realistic to
how multitasking works

Just my two cents on why the article is flawed

I did the test. The first time I did it in 40 seconds, the second time in 41 seconds. This test doesn't prove the author's point.

Although I believe that I can hear music playing in the background and sing along while washing the dishes (which I'd consider multi-tasking), I believe that what I do at work is more like speed-tasking (switching from one thing to another very quickly). I like the term speed-tasking, so that's what I say I'm doing most of the time.

I was much better at multi-tasking when I was young than I am now at 56. It is also something to a degree that one can train themselves to get better at. I have seen a man that could simultaneously write two different letters one with each hand whilst reading something else and still carry on a conversation. This wasn't something that was native to him, it was something he trained himself to do. The brain is incredibly plastic and capable of doing many things most ordinary humans don't do.

Point taken; especially when multitasking involves communication. I have seen and experience the disappointing results of broken communication because of the lack of focus due to multitasking. Thanks for sharing this article. I plan to use it as a reference when sharing wisdom in my life skills workshops:-).

Nobody is good at multitasking effeciently. Sure I can listen to music while reading but what's the point. I find that my mind wanders back and forth between the music and what I am reading and I never fully appreciate either. Driving and texting is the epitome of trying to convince ourselves that we can multitask well while being in denial about how we are essentially threatening the lives of others including our own. I often see a woman in my neighborhood reading while going on her morning walk. Is her life that busy then she can't find the time to read at home?

Yes, of course it is better if you can focus on one task and complete it and then return to another and complete that, but that is not what real life is like.
I agree that the brain cannot focus on two things at the same time, but there are many times where we have to switch our focus back and forth quickly: Driving a car, flying a plane, air traffic control, cooking a meal, ad nauseum.
The "lines and numbers" analogy is really simple-minded and does not apply to anything in real life. This is below the standards of a professional publication, even Psychology Today.

Great post.

I think that multitasking is a scourge that threatens to destroy so many careers. In a world where doing outstanding work is needed to make a living (particularly in a knowledge-centric economy), switching from A to B to C to Z keeps people from building up the depth they need to really create something remarkable.

I feel so strongly about this, I just penned a 5,000 word research backed article on the topic. If you enjoy it, would appreciate your helping me get the word out. I will do the same with this post of your.

http://raviraman.com/multitasking-destroying-career/

Cheers,

Ravi
http://RaviRaman.com

I'm surprised that Dave Crenshaw's book, "The Myth of Multitasking" was not referenced as the source of this article. The ideas expressed are directly from the book. The exercise described is a quick exercise to show you how much time is actually wasted when we try to mult-task. The book is a quick read that's well worth 90 minutes of your time.

Surprised (not!) the clipped-faced, mean-haired hippie (what's) left don't believe humans are evolving or at least adapting.
Sounds like a cause & Affect excuse for shrinks then lawyers to force employers to ease workloads on the unfortunate anarchic occupier generation which doesn't know blood, sweat & tears from real Hard Work.
Stop whining and get back to your works!

Nice article. I wonder your take on musicians such as drummers who are using 4 parts of their body to hit different drums, or pianists and guitarists who also sing at the same time.

I agree that multi tasking isn't as easy as people think and not always as productive, but in certain contexts I think it is useful.

I just started playing the piano, the left hand usually makes a bass line and the right plays the melody. You're essentially playing 2 songs at once. Then when you get that down start singing along, doing 3 things at once takes a lot of practice. I can also juggle using balls, so if anyone says they're a good multitasker i'll call B.S

This article is a great way to bring light to the lies of multitasking!

In college, I remember I took a whole class that broke down cognitive function and how multitasking is essentially a lie. I am definitely going to try this test with my coworkers to help them realize the dangers of multitasking.

An organist can play on two keyboards with all five fingers of both hands and both feet, while reading the music notes for soprano, alto, tenor and bass, and also reading the lyrics while singing along.
A baseball outfielder has to chase down a fly ball, by running to a location, while tracking the ball with his eyes and making adjustments to his path along the way, while raising his arms to make the catch and positioning his body to make a throw to the infield.
When people speak, they choose words, arrange them into a sentence and pronounce the words, while indicating their mood with body language, facial gestures and hand signals.
I play sudoku while listening to music and sometimes sing along.
When I chew gum and walk at the same time, I don't walk any slower than when I just walk.
Multi-tasking can be difficult at times, but not impossible.

What most are missing in this discussion is that fact that tasks are wildly variant in terms of their demands on cognition. Some require moderate to intense use of cognitive facility - e.g., reading for comprehension, or writing with meaning. Other tasks require almost no cognitive attention and processing - e.g., many simple physical tasks, like tapping your foot to music or scratching your head.

I am a professor and I teach a lot of undergraduates who think they can text while in class and also absorb what is happening in class at the same time. I can tell you with 100% certainty, this is not possible. Not one student whom I have ever stopped in the middle of a texting session has ever been able to tell me with any clarity what has transpired in class over the past 15 to 30 seconds. Not one. Out of scores of them. It never fails.

So, keep in mind that tasks are not all the same. Some require moderate to intense concentration, and many others do not. You can't effectively perform two tasks that require significant concentration simultaneously. The brain cannot achieve this.

By the way, I'm also a drummer. Four-way coordination is primarily a learned physical coordination skill. I can mindlessly play 4-limb patterns I've learned over the years with nearly zero concentration required. I learned them by playing them over and over and over until I achieve what is popularly referred to as "muscle memory." What that term means to me, as a drummer, is that I can bring forth an "image" or representation of the drumming pattern I want to play, and my body almost reflexively just does it, because I've done it a million times before and I don't have to think about it as I'm executing it. It requires a lot of concentration and repetition to learn *initially*, but once learned after many thousands of repetitions, it requires almost no brainpower to execute. So some of the arguments about musical multitasking are flawed, because practice and repetition can drastically cut down on the amount of brain processing required.