As we face an ever-increasing daily volume of unfiltered information, it is a constant temptation to attempt some form of multitasking. For most of us, however, this is unwise. For example, monitoring activity on multiple information sources—email, RSS, social, what have you—while watching a Webcast or attending a teleconference feels like it ought to be efficient, but is alarmingly not the case. (By the way, that example should make it obvious that I telecommute.)
Numerous studies have shown that we do not naturally multitask. An often-cited University of Michigan study used an MRI scanner to examine brain responses during complex perception tasks—like identifying colors or sizes of a series of objects. Most subjects’ brains had to pause between different problem-solving tasks—suggesting that we cannot simultaneously process, but instead switch from one task to another.
This and other studies strongly suggest that rapid task switching is rarely accomplished without great loss of efficiency. (If you doubt this, try moving your finger clockwise your foot counterclockwise—simultaneously.)
Such research indicates that true multitasking (simultaneous input processing and decision making) is rare or non-existent. A minority may be able to function fairly well with rapid task-switching—as is the case with a really competent short-order cook. However, for most of us, our “inner CEO” can only make high-quality decisions when our focus is undivided.
The question is: Why do so many of us think we can multitask? Sometimes, the answer is just our species’ inherent optimism and self-confidence—like Keillor’s tag line, “all our children are above average.” It may also be that the consequences for believing this fallacy are not as dire as they were in our prehistoric past. (“Relax; I can cook dinner and watch for lions. No, really I can.”)
Another part of the problem is our technology, which actually can process multiple data sources simultaneously—albeit without making conscious decisions.
Perhaps the most charitable explanation for our multitasking illusion—our subconscious process—is also part of the technology solution. Within limits, we can actually do more than one thing at a time, so long as the extra tasks are subconscious or habitual. Most of us can “walk and chew gum at the same time,” because such tasks do not require much in the way of executive function. Many of us can drive a car without being consciously aware of the details, because we’ve learned the routine; it’s part of our habit patterns. A moderate amount of conscious decisions can be made while doing these “automatic” tasks.
Here’s where information technology can take a cue. Our conscious mind can really only process and decide on one task at a time, but our subconscious can undoubtedly handle more. UI designers are starting to get this concept, as they create subliminal ways to communicate intent. Weather or stock market icons can also communicate to the subconscious, even while the conscious, decision-making mind is elsewhere. Perhaps we need to consider other ways to communicate the “sense” of multiple information threads, without fighting for primary attention.
It’s a challenge worth considering.
–John Parsons
