The concept of multitasking is a fallacy – that’s according to a CQUniversity education expert.
Adjunct senior lecturer and Responsibility Theory author Dr Ragnar Purje says the concept of multitasking implies that a person can perform multiple tasks with equal focus simultaneously.
However, he’s found that research reveals the “action of multitasking is no more than an urban myth”.
“From an educational and learning perspective, students should avoid attempting to multitask when studying, as the evidence shows that practical learning and retention are at their highest when ‘multitasking’ is not taking place,” Purje says.
“When individuals attempt to do more than one task at a time, they are not multitasking but instead are switching their attention from one task to another.
“Importantly, this task switching comes with a cognitive cost, as the brain must change gears from the rules and the demands of one task to those of another.
“This leads to a decrease in cognitive efficiency, with an associated increase in the likelihood of errors being made.”
Purje says task complexity and familiarity also play a role in the cost of task switching, with “more complex and less familiar tasks” requiring more cognitive resources – “thus increasing the time and effort needed to switch between them”.
“However, there’s research evidence to show that even predictable switching between tasks can slow down performance.”
Purje says that the human brain is wired for more sequential task handling rather than parallel processing.
This is evident in language development, reasoning and planning, speech recognition, writing development, and the acquisition of a host of skills not just in education, but in social, cultural and professional spheres.
“Even though multitasking is a popular phrase thrown about, being popular doesn’t mean its accurate or that it actually exists.”