The Myth of Multitasking: How your Brain Really Handles Focus and Attention

Multitasking has long been celebrated as a great skill to have. There is even the old adage that men cannot multitask but woman excel at it.

In today’s modern technology centred world, we are all juggling constant competition for attention. Our phones follow us wherever we go, receiving notifications, interrupting any situation we are in, even if it sometimes only in terms of taking away our mental attention.

We all juggle emails while attending meetings, scroll on our phones whilst watching TV, and attempt to balance both work and professional tasks. This skill of ‘multitasking’ seems essential. It seems that all successful people have this innate ability to multitask well. But is it really beneficial and are they really multitasking?

Neuroscience paints us an interesting story. Research largely suggests that multitasking is a myth. The human brain has not evolved to focus on multiple complex tasks simultaneously. So, what is ‘multitasking’?

What we call ‘multitasking’ is actually extremely rapid task switching. We aren’t doing things simultaneously, instead we are flicking between the tasks, rapidly shifting our attention from one task to another. And this shifting comes at a cost, particularly when it comes to learning and memory.

The Brain’s Attention and Learning System

To understand why multitasking doesn’t need work, we need to have an understanding of how the brain handles attention and learning. The region of the brain that is responsible for focus, the prefrontal cortex, works optimally when it is working on a single task. When multitasking is attempted, our brain goes into ‘serial tasking’, whereby it is quickly switching back and forth between the different activities.

When we switch between activities, cognitive effort is used, leading to what scientists have termed “switching cost”. This cost includes decreasing reaction times, decreased accuracy, and increases in mental fatigue. However, more importantly, multitasking interferes with how we encode new information. The learning process requires sustained attention to consolidate new knowledge into long-term memory. Further to this, studies have shown that divided attention during learning results in weaker retention and recall of information (1).

The Myth of “Great Multitaskers”

Some people claim to be good at multitasking but research suggests that this is not true. A Stanford study found that those who frequently multitask, i.e. those who frequently engage in multiple streams of information, are actually worse at filtering out distractions, organising information, and switching tasks efficiently (2).

Interestingly their ability to focus on a single task whilst flicking between multiple tasks was weaker than those who work on a single task at a time. This suggests that multitasking can potentially train the brain to be more distractible rather than more efficient, making it harder to absorb and retain knowledge.

The Disruption of Memory Formation

Memory formation occurs in three different stages: encoding, storage, and retrieval. When we are multitasking, we disrupt the encoding process whereby new information coded into the brain for storage.

For example, a study showed that when students attempted to take notes whilst being distracted by a piece of technology such as their laptop, they performed significantly worse in memory recall tests on that knowledge when compared to those who solely focused on the lecture (3).

Furthermore, multitasking has been shown to hinder the deep learning process by inhibiting the brain from making the required meaningful connections between new knowledge and existing knowledge. This is due to the hippocampus, a key part of the brain required in the memory formation process, relying on undivided attention to integrate the new knowledge into existing frameworks (4).

The Exceptions: Automatic and Simple Tasks

Now despite the negative impacts of multitasking discussed above, not all multitasking has negative consequences. Certain activities that are habitual or require minimal cognitive load (effort), i.e. walking and listening to music, can be done simultaneously. This is possible because these two activities do not compete for the same mental resources.

But the moment that two simultaneous tasks require active attention, i.e. reading and listening to a podcast, the brain struggles to process both streams of information effectively, leading to weaker memory formation, mistakes, and slower reaction times (5).

How to Improve Focus and Learn More Effectively

So, in a world full of distraction, particularly from technology, what can be done to improve focus, enhance memory retention, and work smarter not harder? Here are a few science-backed strategies below:

1. Utilise the Pomodoro Technique - Work in focused sprints (e.g. 25-minute blocks) with short breaks in-between to reduce mental fatigue, maintain mental clarity, and improve knowledge retention.

2. Prioritise Deep Work - Make sure you allocate distraction free time for learning, problem-solving, or creative thinking. The more focused you are when trying to learn something new, the better your brain will encode and recall information.

3. Remove Digital Distractions - Turn off all unnecessary notifications, use “Do Not Disturb” mode, and limit the number of tabs open on the computer. You can also set up a separate login on your computer that is not logged into social media etc so you aren’t tempted to do anything else when trying to focus.

4. Batch Similar Tasks Together - Instead of switching between different types of work, group similar activities together to minimise your cognitive load and thus cognitive fatigue.

The Takeaway

The idea that we can multitask is a deeply ingrained myth. Whilst we may feel like we are achieving more and being more efficient when ‘multitasking’ - we aren’t. All that we are doing is rapidly switching between tasks, reducing efficiency, increasing errors, and fatiguing our cognitive resources. More importantly, multitasking impairs the brain’s ability to learn and retain new information, making it harder to develop deep understanding and recall knowledge.

By focusing on one task at a time, eliminating distractions, and training our brains for deeper concentration, our ability to learn, remember, and apply knowledge effectively can be significantly improved. Multitasking may seem like a shortcut, but in the long run it is a hinderance, the true path to success lies in doing one task at a time.

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References

1. Foerde, K., Knowlton, B. J., & Poldrack, R. A. (2006). Modulation of competing memory systems by distraction. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 103(31), 11778-11783.

2. Ophir, E., Nass, C., & Wagner, A. D. (2009). Cognitive control in media multitaskers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(37), 15583-15587.

3. Sana, F., Weston, T., & Cepeda, N. J. (2013). Laptop multitasking hinders classroom learning for both users and nearby peers. Computers & Education, 62, 24-3.

4. Poldrack, R. A., & Foerde, K. (2008). Category learning and the memory systems debate. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 32(2), 197-205.

5. Strayer, D. L., & Johnston, W. A. (2001). Driven to distraction: Dual-task studies of simulated driving and conversing on a cellular telephone. Psychological Science, 12(6), 462-466.