## Key Ideas > [!abstract] Core Concepts > > - **Task switching**: Multitasking is rapid task switching, not simultaneous processing > - **Working memory costs**: Each switch delays refocus and fatigues cognitive resources > - **Productivity illusion**: Multitaskers feel more productive whilst actually achieving less with more errors ## Definition **Multitasking**: The attempt to perform multiple tasks simultaneously, which actually involves rapid task switching that increases [[Cognitive Load]] and reduces performance through the [[Redundancy Effect]]. ## Connected to [[Cognitive Load Theory]] | [[Redundancy Effect]] | [[Memory]] | [[Practice]] --- ## Overview Students believe they can study whilst listening to podcasts, scroll social media whilst completing homework, or switch between assignments without performance costs. Human brains cannot process multiple complex tasks simultaneously. Instead, the brain engages in rapid task switching that creates cognitive costs. Each switch between tasks requires working memory resources to deactivate the previous context, activate the new one, and eventually switch back. This delays deep focus. Those with ample working memory capacity may manage switching costs on simple tasks, but students with limited capacity suffer most from multitasking attempts. Research by Rosen (2008) shows that multitaskers feel more productive whilst achieving less and making more errors than those who focus on one task. Effective learning of cognitively demanding material requires sustained single-task focus. ## The reality of multitasking Multitasking involves splitting attention across multiple tasks simultaneously, which contributes to cognitive load through the [[Redundancy Effect]]. Many students enjoy listening to music whilst studying, combining calming music with planning lessons, or listening to a podcast during weightlifting. These combinations can make activities more enjoyable. However, multitasking is rapid task switching; shifting attention quickly between different activities. Reading a book whilst listening to a podcast shows this limitation: most readers reach the end of a page having ignored the podcast entirely. For those with ample working memory, task switching may not cause problems. For those with limited working memory, each switch delays refocus. Attempting to multitask fatigues cognitive resources and reduces the ability to manage more than one task. >[!info] Research: Rosen 2008 >Psychologists interviewed multitaskers, gave them different tasks to accomplish and compared their results with a control group that was instructed to do only one thing at a time. While those who multitasked claimed to *feel* more productive, they couldn't do as much and made more mistakes than their unitasking counterparts. > ## References Cowan, N. (2001). The magical number 4 in short-term memory: A reconsideration of mental storage capacity. *Behavioral and Brain Sciences*, 24(1), 87-114. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X01003922 Monsell, S. (2003). Task switching. *Trends in Cognitive Sciences*, 7(3), 134-140. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1364-6613(03)00028-7 Ophir, E., Nass, C., & Wagner, A. D. (2009). Cognitive control in media multitaskers. *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences*, 106(37), 15583-15587. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0903620106 Pashler, H. (1994). Dual-task interference in simple tasks: Data and theory. *Psychological Bulletin*, 116(2), 220-244. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.116.2.220 Rosen, C. (2008). The myth of multitasking. *The New Atlantis*, 20, 105-110. Rubinstein, J. S., Meyer, D. E., & Evans, J. E. (2001). Executive control of cognitive processes in task switching. *Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance*, 27(4), 763-797. https://doi.org/10.1037/0096-1523.27.4.763 Sweller, J., van Merriënboer, J. J. G., & Paas, F. (2019). Cognitive architecture and instructional design: 20 years later. *Educational Psychology Review*, 31(2), 261-292. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09465-5