Multitasking vs Task Switching

Master task switching not multitasking Multitasking doesn’t work - here’s what does

When you google task switching vs. multitasking many of the articles may tell you task switching and multitasking are the same thing, but do not be misled as they are very different.

Task switching- the ability to shift focus among tasks or contexts. Focusing on one task at one time.

Multitasking - the performance of more than one task at the same time.

Most people believe they can multitask, it's efficient, effective, and productive. When you multitask you can go faster and get more done.

Right?

Wrong!

When researching this topic area, what is very clear is that we are not effective if we try to do more than three things at a time. Many of us claim to multitask, but when we attempt it the quality of our work takes a significant dive when we are asked to juggle more than three things at once.

In a famous study from the University of Utah, a statistically absurd, but remarkably confident 70% of participants thought they were above average in their ability to do multiple things at once. But the fact is that they weren’t and you aren’t either. When people try to do several things at once, almost everyone — a full 98% according to the Utah study gets worse at each individual task.

The idea that anyone can talk on the phone, answer emails, tidy their workspace and think through the kids after school schedule all at once is enticing but it's also cognitively impossible. The conscious mind simply isn’t set up to focus on multiple things at the same time.

The brain is constantly loading information into the inferior temporal cortex. That means that even when we are focused on one thing, our brain is working away in the background updating scripts for the next thing on he list. As long as we are not in a state of deep stress, and we're calm and alert we are cognitively prepared to shift priorities. How effectively and quickly we do that is a measure of task switching.

To illustrate this, here’s a great little test from 'Psychology Today' from the Potential Group based in Denmark. Have a go yourself. On a piece of paper draw two lines horizontally across the page. On the first line write down, “ I am a great multitasker” and then on the second line write numbers 1 to 20. Time how long it takes you to write out each line and make a note.

On average the top line would have taken you around five seconds to write. The second line may have taken around eight or nine seconds to write down.

Now draw two more horizontal lines below these across the page. This time write down the same things on your two lines BUT you are going to alternate between writing the first letter of the statement and the first number in the sequence of numbers, then the second number, and carry on until you have completed both the statement and the sequence of numbers. In other words, write 'I' then '1' write 'a' then '2' write 'm' then '3', etc. Set a timer on your phone to see how long it takes you. When you’re done check both times and think about these questions.

1. How much longer did it take?

2. Did you leave any spaces between the words?

3. What does your handwriting look like?

From this simple exercise, we can demonstrate that we cannot focus on 2 things effectively in one moment. If we try to multitask, for example being on the phone whilst typing up an email and writing a report, the quality of work will significantly drop and the time it takes to complete any of the given tasks will rise.

So now we have covered multitasking let’s look at task switching in a little more detail.

Rich Diviney explains task switching quite nicely in his book “The Attributes”:

There are two ways that we task switch. The first is when we switch focus inside the same context. When you are driving a car, for instance, one moment you are focused on pressing the accelerator, the next on checking your mirrors or using your turn signal, then on the break but you are not completing all of these at the same time. Each of those is a task and you can switch from one to the other probably without thinking. This is because your brain is running in a compartmentalisation loop for you which is quickly taking in information, assessing relevance, prioritising, and focusing - and doing it over and over.

The other way we task switch is when we need to hop between contexts. This also happens repeatedly. When you get out of your car and are walking across the car park, that’s a new context. Enter an office building, and that’s another new context. To you, that might just seem like a part of your everyday routine, but to your brain, each of those steps is a new context.

Rich's explanation of task switching above tells us that it's something that we are all capable of and actually do on a daily basis. The aim then is to get better at it, so it can benefit us in both our personal and professional lives. Here are three ways to improve task-switching:

1. One way to task-switch faster is to make demanding tasks less demanding. For example, if you can simplify a task or make it more automatic, then you can reduce the demands on your attention. A great way to do this is by splitting your tasks up into a checklist.

2. Setting yourself a timer can work wonders. The timer going off then becomes a cue for when it’s time to switch back to another task.

3. Practice ways to remember where you left off, so if you get interrupted during a task, you can pick back up where you left off quickly. For example, leaving yourself a note or marking on the document you're working on where you are up to.

In Summary: in this blog, we have established that multitasking is not an efficient way to complete tasks. Task switching is an efficient and productive way to complete your tasks without the quality of your work decreasing. Finding ways to task switch more effectively will allow you to get everything on your to-do list done (even with interruptions) and not affect the quality of your work!