In today’s fast-paced world, being able to juggle multiple tasks at once seems like a valuable skill. Picture this: you’re watching your favorite show, munching on sushi, and firing off emails all at the same time. Sounds impressive, right? This is what we often call multitasking. However, research consistently shows that most people struggle to perform two or more attention-demanding tasks simultaneously without compromising the quality of at least one of those tasks.
What we often think of as multitasking is actually task-switching. This means we rapidly switch our focus from one task to another. Studies suggest there’s a “switch-cost,” where people slow down when transitioning between tasks because the brain needs time to adjust to the new task. Everyday examples include slowing down when checking your phone while walking, turning down the radio when searching for a turn while driving, or losing track of a phone conversation while typing an email.
It’s often said that true multitasking is only possible when the tasks are so familiar that they require little thought, like tying your shoes while chatting about the weather. However, there are exceptions—people known as supertaskers. These individuals can genuinely multitask, handling multiple tasks simultaneously without a drop in performance.
Consider Lauren Moore, who set a record for reciting the first 100 digits of Pi while twisting a Rubik’s cube and balancing books on her head. Or David Babcock, who knitted the longest scarf while running. Supertaskers possess an exceptional blend of attention, memory, and concentration.
A 2010 study found that about 2.5% of participants were supertaskers. This might seem small, but on a larger scale, it represents a significant number of people. One way researchers measure supertasking ability is through the dual-task n-back test. In this task, you track the changing positions of a blue square while listening to a stream of letters. You must identify when the square’s position or the letter matches what occurred three steps earlier.
Trying this task can quickly reveal whether you’re a supertasker. For many, like myself, it becomes clear that our brains aren’t wired for such feats.
Beyond individual supertaskers, studies have shown that groups of people can multitask effectively. In one study, elderly adults cycled on stationary bikes while performing increasingly complex cognitive tasks, like repeating numbers in reverse order. Surprisingly, these cognitive tasks led to faster cycling speeds compared to when they weren’t multitasking.
Another study found that when participants were given two letter-matching tasks simultaneously, each hemisphere of the medial frontal cortex processed one task independently. However, adding a third task caused participants to struggle, as if they forgot one of the tasks, leading to poorer overall performance.
Ultimately, we can’t definitively say whether people can or can’t multitask. Multitasking exists on a spectrum, ranging from those who excel at single tasks to task-switchers and exceptional supertaskers. Attempting multiple challenging tasks at once often results in poorer performance across the board. However, mastering a process can enable you to perform it alongside another task.
Remember David Babcock? He began running and knitting around the same time, giving him ample practice to excel at both simultaneously. So, how many things can you do at once?
Before we wrap up, I have an exciting announcement. Meet Shini, the host of Crash Course Physics. What can we expect from Crash Course Physics? Shini promises to make challenging physics topics like vectors, calculus, and integrals fun and easy to understand. Be sure to check it out!
I’m definitely going to brush up on my physics with Crash Course. I’ll include a link below so you can join in and learn amazing things with Shini. Thanks for reading!
Engage in a task-switching simulation where you alternate between two different activities, such as solving math problems and writing a short essay. Track the time it takes to complete each task individually versus switching between them. Reflect on how task-switching affects your performance and discuss your findings with peers.
Participate in a dual-task n-back test to assess your multitasking abilities. This involves tracking the position of a moving object while listening to a sequence of sounds. Identify when the current position or sound matches the one from three steps earlier. Share your results and experiences with the class to explore the concept of supertasking.
Form small groups and attempt a multitasking challenge, such as solving puzzles while engaging in a group discussion. Observe how group dynamics influence multitasking efficiency and discuss strategies that helped or hindered performance. Analyze how group multitasking compares to individual efforts.
Research a known supertasker, such as Lauren Moore or David Babcock, and present a case study on their abilities. Examine the skills and techniques they use to manage multiple tasks simultaneously. Present your findings to the class and discuss whether these techniques can be applied to improve your own multitasking skills.
Conduct a self-assessment to determine where you fall on the multitasking spectrum. Reflect on your strengths and weaknesses when handling multiple tasks. Develop a personal action plan to enhance your multitasking abilities, focusing on practice and mastery of specific tasks. Share your plan with a peer for feedback and support.
It seems like today, the more things you can do at once, the better. I’m watching a show while eating sushi and writing emails. Multitasking! But research keeps telling us that most people can’t perform two or more attention-demanding tasks at the same time without doing one of those tasks poorly. Instead of truly multitasking, we often just switch between tasks rapidly, which is known as task-switching.
Research suggests there’s a switch-cost—people tend to slow down when moving from one task to another due to the time it takes for the brain to realign to the new task. Scientists and the media also point to anecdotal evidence: if we are walking, we slow down when we look at our phones; if we are driving, we turn down the radio when looking for our turn; and if we are typing an email, we often lose track of what we are saying on the phone.
It’s often claimed that we can’t multitask unless the actions or processes are so automatic to us that they don’t require any thought, like tying a shoe while talking about the weather. Unless, that is, you’re a supertasker. They are people who can actually multitask, performing tasks at the same time and doing them well.
Take Lauren Moore, who holds the record for the fastest time to say the first 100 digits of Pi while twisting a Rubik’s cube and balancing books on her head. Or David Babcock’s record for knitting the longest scarf while running. They’re pros at doing somewhat unusual things simultaneously. Supertaskers seem to have the perfect mix of attention, memory, and concentration.
In a 2010 study, researchers found that 2.5% of their participants were supertaskers. On a larger scale, that could be quite a lot of people! The dual-task n-back is a task some studies have used to measure supertasking ability, and I want you to try it. In the task, you have to keep track of the changing positions of a blue square while listening to a stream of letters played over headphones. Then you have to indicate when the square’s position matches the position it was in three turns earlier or when the letter matches the letter that was spoken three times earlier.
You should have paused the video twice, and that’s a tiny taste of what the n-back is like. It was immediately obvious to me that I’m not a supertasker because my brain can’t even.
And supertasking aside, lots of studies have found evidence that groups of people can multitask. In one, elderly adults were asked to cycle on a stationary bike while completing increasingly difficult tasks, like repeating a list of numbers in reverse order. Completing those cognitive tasks actually resulted in the participants cycling faster than they were when they weren’t multitasking.
Another study found that when participants were given two letter-matching tasks at the same time, each hemisphere of the medial frontal cortex processed one of those tasks independently of the other. But when a third task was added, participants behaved almost as if they forgot one of the three tasks, and they performed much worse overall.
The thing is, we can’t definitively say that people can or can’t multitask. Multitasking is an ability—there’s a spectrum from people who are better at single tasks, to task-switchers, to great supertaskers. If you try to do multiple challenging things all at once, yes, you’ll probably do worse in all of them! But if you focus on learning a process inside and out, you could probably do it while you do something else.
Remember David Babcock? He took up running and knitting at about the same time, so he had lots of practice doing them together. So, how many things can you do at once?
And one more thing! I have an announcement, which is in the form of a person. This is Shini, who’s hosting Crash Course Physics. What can we look forward to in Crash Course Physics?
So all the things that are particularly challenging about physics, like vectors, calculus, and integrals—we make it really fun and explain the concepts! Check it out.
Awesome! I think I need to check it out and brush up on my physics! I’ll put a link down here so go and check out Crash Course Physics, and you can learn lots of awesome things with Shini. Thanks for watching!
Multitasking – The ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously, often leading to a division of attention and potential decrease in performance efficiency. – In cognitive psychology, multitasking is often studied to understand its effects on attention and memory retention.
Supertaskers – Individuals who can perform multiple tasks simultaneously with high efficiency and minimal loss in performance. – Research in cognitive psychology has identified supertaskers as a rare group capable of maintaining high levels of performance while multitasking.
Attention – The cognitive process of selectively concentrating on a specific aspect of information while ignoring other perceivable information. – In physics lectures, maintaining attention is crucial for understanding complex concepts like quantum mechanics.
Memory – The faculty by which the brain stores and remembers information, crucial for learning and cognitive development. – Studies in psychology often explore how different types of memory, such as short-term and long-term memory, affect learning outcomes.
Concentration – The mental effort directed towards a particular task or thought, essential for effective learning and problem-solving. – Concentration is vital during physics experiments to ensure accurate data collection and analysis.
Research – The systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources to establish facts and reach new conclusions. – In psychology, research methodologies are employed to explore cognitive processes and behavioral patterns.
Cognitive – Relating to the mental processes of perception, memory, judgment, and reasoning. – Cognitive psychology examines how people understand, diagnose, and solve problems, focusing on the mental processes involved.
Performance – The execution of a task or action, often evaluated in terms of accuracy, speed, and efficiency. – In physics, the performance of an experiment can be influenced by the precision of the instruments used.
Tasks – Specific activities or pieces of work that need to be completed, often used in experiments to measure cognitive abilities. – Cognitive tasks in psychology experiments are designed to assess various mental functions such as memory and attention.
Switching – The process of shifting attention from one task to another, often studied in the context of multitasking and cognitive flexibility. – Task switching in cognitive psychology is used to understand how efficiently individuals can adapt to changing demands.
