Multitasking: Brain Drain or Boost in Efficiency?

Abstract

Think it's a good idea to plug into iTunes, surf the Web, or watch TV while doing homework or trying to read? Lots of people do it and claim that jumping from one activity to another keeps their attention level up and even gives their brain some time to "relax" between the more challenging tasks. Just how efficient is multitasking? In this project, you'll find out after testing the ability of volunteers to successfully do two or more things at once.

Summary

Areas of Science

Human Behavior

Difficulty

Method

Scientific Method

Time Required

Long (2-4 weeks)

Prerequisites

This project requires the participation of volunteers. Make sure you are familiar with your science fair's rules about tests involving human volunteers before you start. For suggestions and common rules check out the Science Buddies resource Projects Involving Human Subjects.

Material Availability

Readily available

Cost

Very Low (under $20)

Safety

No issues

Credits

Darlene E. Jenkins, Ph.D.

This project is based on a DragonflyTV episode.

Science Buddies is committed to creating content authored by scientists and educators. Learn more about our process and how we use AI.

Objective

The goal of this project is to investigate the question: Can people really pay attention to two things at once?

Introduction

We've all heard that people shouldn't talk on cell phones, eat, put on make up, or read maps while driving. These are obviously risky types of multitasking. Common sense tells us—and research confirms—that safe driving requires the driver's undivided attention. But what do scientists say about multitasking in other situations like studying while listening to music or scanning emails while talking on the phone?

Researchers have found that when we alternate between mental tasks we activate the prefrontal cortex, an "executive control" region of our brain's outer layer. This region acts like an air traffic controller who must set priorities and manage incoming requests from dozens of planes at a busy airport. The process takes energy, focus, and time. Hardly a mental break for your brain.

According to scientific studies, it seems our brains generally prefer to think about one thought at a time and not flit rapidly from one focus to the next. Scientists distinguish between "multitasking," when we do more than one thing at the same time like studying and listening to music, and "task switching" when we rapidly change in succession from one unrelated task to another like a busy receptionist answering phones between sending emails and welcoming visitors. Both are inefficient processes for our brains according to their studies.

Researchers who map the brain's activity find that even short breaks in focus when we are working or studying forces our brain to a temporary halt. The executive control center must take the time first to process the request and then to redirect energy to other areas of the brain that will execute the switch in intellectual gears. When we decide to return our focus to the original work, more time is lost while our brain warms back up to restart the original task. Apparently multitasking and task switching are not the great time savers people often claim.

Even our natural behaviors remind us that our noggins normally disdain distraction. For instance, to really zero in on a faint sound in the distance we instinctively stop moving, shut our eyes, and focus entirely on listening carefully. Essentially, your brain does not multitask when it's time to pay attention. Fortunately, our brains can be somewhat flexible and forgiving about multitasking depending on the circumstances. If one task is very familiar to us, then there is less brain interruption when changing focus between a series of similar tasks, the studies showed. It's also less time consuming for our brain to combine automated physical chores with some types of higher mental activity. That's why, for example, we can wash the dishes and watch TV fairly easily.

In this activity, you will ask your volunteers to complete a simple math test in two different environments. One will be quiet with no distraction, the other will be filled with background music so that it forces the volunteers to multitask. You'll then compare how well the volunteers accomplished the same type of test under each condition. We have provided below a basic experimental plan to get you started, but you can easily customize your experiment to fit your own interests. We've also included additional hints on how to set up different types of studies related to multitasking. Finally, it's a good idea to do some background research on multitasking, task switching, and the brain regions that help you accomplish both. You'll find a list of suggested terms and key questions in the next section.

Now, put down that iPod and concentrate, please. Your brain will be less stressed and most grateful.

Terms and Concepts

To do this project, you should do research that enables you to understand the following terms and concepts:

• Multitasking
• Task switching
• Executive brain activities
• Brain lobes
• Brain cortex
• Prefrontal lobe

Questions

• What are examples of multitasking and task switching activities? What are common misconceptions about each?
• What are the benefits and drawbacks of trying to do two things at the same time?
• What parts of the brain are associated with multitasking or task switching?
• What types of activities lend themselves to successful multitasking? What types of activities are better to do with full concentration?

Materials and Equipment

To do this experiment you will need the following materials and equipment:

• Simple math tests, either paper or electronic (done on a computer). See procedure for details about making the tests.
• At least 10 volunteers for your study (the more volunteers, the better). Note: To see how many volunteer subjects you need, check out the Science Buddies resource Sample Size: How Many Survey Participants Do I Need?
• You will need materials for each volunteer to take one math test while listening to music, and one test without music. How you arrange this will depend on how you do your tests (paper or electronic) and whether you have your volunteers take the tests at home/individually or as a group all at once. For example:
  • For electronic tests, you can email volunteers a link to the tests, and they can take the test on their own computers while listening to their own music. 
  • For paper tests:
    • If given to a group all at once, you will need to print enough copies of the tests, and have phones/portable music players with headsets for each volunteer.
    • If given individually, you can email volunteers the tests to print themselves (or give each person a printed copy), and they can listen to their own music at home.
    • Each volunteer will need a watch or timer to time how long it takes them to do each test.

This project follows the Scientific Method. Review the steps before you begin.

Working with Human Test Subjects

There are special considerations when designing an experiment involving human subjects. Fairs affiliated with Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) often require an Informed Consent Form (permission sheet) for every participant who is questioned. Consult the rules and regulations of the science fair that you are entering, prior to performing experiments or surveys. Please refer to the Science Buddies documents Projects Involving Human Subjects and Scientific Review Committee for additional important requirements. If you are working with minors, you must get advance permission from the children's parents or guardians (and teachers if you are performing the test while they are in school) to make sure that it is all right for the children to participate in the science fair project. Here are suggested guidelines for obtaining permission for working with minors:

1. Write a clear description of your science fair project, what you are studying, and what you hope to learn. Include how the child will be tested. Include a paragraph where you get a parent's or guardian's and/or teacher's signature.
2. Print out as many copies as you need for each child you will be surveying.
3. Pass out the permission sheet to the children or to the teachers of the children to give to the parents. You must have permission for all the children in order to be able to use them as test subjects.

There are two options to make math tests for this experiment. You can have your volunteers take electronic tests on a computer (Option 1), or you can make and print out paper tests (Option 2). The overall experimental procedure is similar, but the sections below outline each option.

Option 1: Use a Computer Test

1. The first option uses a beginner-friendly computer programming language called Scratch to create and distribute your math tests. Scratch is a great way to learn coding for people with no previous coding experience. See Getting Started with Scratch from the Raspberry Pi Foundation to learn more about programming in Scratch.
2. Using a computer program lets you easily and automatically generate math tests. You can quickly change things like the number of questions in the test or the range of the numbers used in the problems (for example, addition problems using numbers 1-10 or 1-100). You can also share a link to the test so people can take it on their own computers, so you do not need to print it. 
3. We have prepared code for a test to help you get started. The default test has 20 addition, subtraction, and multiplication problems using numbers 1-10. Try using the test yourself to see how it works.
   1. Click the green flag to start the test on this screen.
   2. Type your answer to each problem in the text box and press enter.
   3. When you are done, the program will show you the total number of correct and incorrect problems—the grading is automatic! It will also show you the time it took you to complete the test in seconds. 
4. You can edit the code yourself to change the range of numbers and the number of problems in the test.
   1. To save a copy of the code, you must first create an account on the Scratch website. You can do this using the "Join Scratch" button in the top right.
   2. After creating and logging in to your own account, click the "Remix" button at the top of the code page. This will create a "remixed" copy of the code that is saved in your own account. 
   3. Any changes that you make to the code will now be saved to your account. Read the comments (the yellow note boxes) in the code to learn about the variables you can change. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGhpCU-96Ic

3. Click the "See project page" button at the top of the Scratch page, then click "Copy link" in the bottom right. Email this link to your volunteers.  
4. Explain to your volunteers what they will be doing. You may wish to include these instructions in your email:
   1. They will take one math test without listening to music and one test while listening to music.
   2. They can pick their own music to listen to.
   3. They do not need to rush. You will ask them to record how much time it takes to complete each test, but there is no time limit.
   4. They should not use calculators. 
5. Each volunteer should first do one test without listening to music.
   1. Click the green flag in the Scratch window.
   2. Type the answer for each problem into the text box at the bottom of the window and press enter.
   3. When the test is over, ask them to record their number of correct and incorrect answers and the time in seconds.
6. Each volunteer should take a second test while listening to music. Scratch will automatically generate a new test when they click the green flag again.
7. Ask your volunteers to write down how they felt they did on the first test versus the second test.
8. Ask your volunteers to send you all of their recorded information. You can collect all of their replies in a data table like Table 1 (add more rows as needed). For each test, they should have:
   1. The number of correct problems
   2. The number of incorrect problems
   3. The time in seconds
   4. How they felt they did on the test

Swipe left to see more

Swipe left to see more

	Without Music				With Music
Volunteer #	Correct	Incorrect	Time (seconds)	How do you think you did?	Correct	Incorrect	Time (seconds)	How do you think you did?
1
2
3
...
Average

Table 1. Example data table.

Option 2: Use a Paper Test

1. If you do not want to use Scratch, you will need to make tests by hand. Design two different math tests with the same number of problems and the same difficulty. Prepare an answer key that you can use for grading.
2. Print out enough copies for each volunteer to have their own copy of each test. 
3. Explain to your volunteers what they will be doing. 
   1. They will take one math test without listening to music and one test while listening to music.
   2. They can pick their own music to listen to.
   3. They do not need to rush. You will ask them to record how much time it takes to complete each test, but there is no time limit.
   4. They should not use calculators. 
4. If your volunteers are taking their tests at home:
   1. Ask them to take one test without listening to music, and user a timer to record how long it takes them to finish the test.
   2. Ask them to take the second test while listening to music.
5. If your volunteers will be taking the tests as a group:
   1. Start a timer and have the entire group start the first test at the same time with no music. 
   2. Ask each volunteer to bring you their test when they are done. Write down the elapsed time for that volunteer.
6. After everyone has finished the first test, repeat step 5 with music and the second test. You have two options:
   1. Play the same music for the entire group.
   2. Have each volunteer listen to their own music using their own headphones. 
7. Ask each volunteer to write down how they think they did on each of the tests.
8. Grade the tests by hand using your answer key.
9. Record all of your data in a table like Table 1.

Analyzing Your Data

1.  Calculate an average number of correct problems, incorrect problems, and time for each test across all volunteers. Since "How do you think you did on the test?" is a qualitative measure, not a quantitative one, you cannot calculate an average, but you can look for trends in the answers. 
2. Do you find any differences between the scores of the tests taken with or without background music for the individual volunteers? How does that compare to the overall group results? Was there any difference in the time required to finish the tests?
3. Did listening to music affect the ability of the volunteers to answer the math questions? Are you surprised at the results? Why or why not?
4. Did the results match the expectations of each volunteer on how well they thought they did on the tests?
5. For help with data analysis, see Data Analysis & Graphs.
6. For a guide on how to summarize your results and write conclusions based on your data, see Conclusions.

Ask an Expert

Do you have specific questions about your science project? Our team of volunteer scientists can help. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions, offer guidance, and help you troubleshoot.

Post a Question

Global Goals

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) are a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.

This project explores topics key to Good Health and Well-Being: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

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