MULTI-TASKING - FOR, OR AGAINST

2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43

First, let's go back to what the word multitasking itself means and where it comes from.

The first meaning of this term can be found in any encyclopedic dictionary. And it does not refer at all to psychology and not to management theory, but to the field of informatics and computer programming: “multitasking, in computer science and programming, is the property of an operating system or a programming environment to provide parallel processing of several processes. The main difficulty in implementing a multitasking environment is its reliability."

If we accept the description of computer multitasking as a metaphor for human activity, it becomes clear what the question is: can a person simultaneously work on several tasks and how reliable (efficiently)?

Here it is immediately important to make an important reservation. The above is the most general understanding of multitasking. But upon closer examination, it turns out that it is different. Agree - running 2-3 projects in parallel and simultaneously looking through mail, social networks and talking on the phone are not the same thing. Another option is to be interested in many things at the same time, without going deep. And, finally, working on the principle of part-time work in 2-3 unrelated areas is another calico. And yet, these are all different types and degrees of multitasking. Or, rather, versatility - in order to take it wider and not to be confused with a familiar word.

The most common office type is the first one, strongly tied to gadgets and the Internet. Over the past couple of decades, this topic has acquired a strong "computer" bias - in connection with the development of the Internet, technology and gadgets. By answering both a letter and a call, constantly being distracted by new questions, without getting out of the correspondence during the meeting, we create the illusion of being busy and in demand. In addition, it seems that in this way we increase the amount of time in the day and do more.

Numerous applied studies and experiments clearly state the degree of influence on language, thinking, communication methods, and the lifestyle of a modern person. And this degree is rather big. Without going into details, the sphere of influence is not only habits, methods of communication, work and study, but the peculiarities of attention, perception, memory - that is, directly the work of the brain.

And this is what is revealed - while the office continues to worship multitasking, most scientific research on the topic comes to the conclusion about the inefficiency and harm of multitasking, and especially the kind that is associated with the Internet and gadgets.

Why? It turns out that multitasking does the opposite of what you expected. People lose the ability to perceive voluminous texts that require prolonged concentration of attention and independent highlighting of the main thoughts, they can hardly focus attention, highlight the main thing, uncritically connect pieces of information received from different sources, become scattered and superficial. They experience a constant need to obtain new information, not having time, and often not trying to comprehend it. Neuroscience research suggests that this need for constant switching becomes a necessity for the brain - something akin to addiction is formed. People who practice multitasking are unable to focus on performing one action, it is difficult for them to give up the habit of performing several tasks at the same time, even in cases where it is not required.

Moreover, it turned out that multitasking, creative and innovative solutions cannot be expected from working in a multitasking mode, since the ability to concentrate is absent.

In one experiment, out of several thousand participants, only six still showed a less significant decrease in concentration when adding a second, additional task. The addition of a third task even slightly improved the accuracy and efficiency of their actions. And in 2012, among the subjects there was a woman who was able to perform more than one action, without any decrease in quality at all. Moreover, with an increase in the number of actions (incoming information flows), the quality improved - driving a car added to a telephone conversation and calculations only improved the result - the only systemic error in mathematical calculations was gone. The results of this woman ran counter to the conclusions of the entire experiment. The result of all the checks was the statement of fact: Cassie really has anomalous abilities …

But there are no more than 2% of people like her …

The findings of the researchers boil down to the fact that multitasking properties are genetic rather than acquired.

Cassie and others like her - can process several incoming flows of information, without increasing the activity of parts of the brain, they just begin to function more efficiently. "Their brains can do things that others are physically unable to do."

The irony of the study, according to the author himself, is that 98% of people deceive themselves, considering themselves capable of multitasking. Uncomplicated preliminary testing is guaranteed to eliminate this illusion for the vast majority.

It is touching that the author of the experiment himself did not dare to pass his own testing, preferring to remain in the dark.

So, maybe someday, an effective way to learn or develop multitasking will be discovered, but at the moment, researchers do not believe this is possible. Well, that is, you can develop this quality in yourself, but not much … and in general - not worth it …

So is it all that bad?

No, it's just a little more complicated than it seemed to us initially. Multitasking, as we mentioned at the very beginning, is different …