Until today I thought multitasking was a skill that only the elite had mastered and that is was a trait to aspire to. After reading a recent study done at Stanford University I think multitasking may be overrated.
“People who are regularly bombarded with several streams of electronic information do not pay attention, control their memory or switch from one job to another as well as those who prefer to complete one task at a time”
A series of three electronic tests were performed by researchers hoping to prove that those who were classified as “high multitaskers” would out perform those who were “low multitaskers”. However, there research shocked both them and me, but not totally. I have heard before and believe that the brain can only process one thing at any given moment.
This study seems to prove that those who attempt to multitask are actually creating an environment of distractions, lost concentration and the result is decreased “cognitive control”. Next time you are attempting to talk on the phone, send an email and chatting on the internet, try focusing on one things before moving on to the next and see what happens. For me it has helped improve my focus and enhance my concentration.
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2009/august24/multitask-research-study-082409.html
