tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post8827485221328222631..comments2024-03-29T04:06:37.402-07:00Comments on Had Enough Therapy?: Should You Multitask?Stuart Schneidermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784043736879991769noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-73018125636421129032022-11-20T09:50:51.634-08:002022-11-20T09:50:51.634-08:00Definitions matter. What Rose is talking about, a...Definitions matter. What Rose is talking about, as expressed in her conclusion, is *distractions*, not background tasks or overlapping processes that must be completed in a specific timeframe. In other words these are tasks that could be deferred or assigned to another person to ensure focus on a single task.Christopher Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00396671757183163171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-45265285865791221582022-11-16T15:48:29.570-08:002022-11-16T15:48:29.570-08:00It's true that multitasking (which is really t...It's true that multitasking (which is really task switching, except where some of the tasks are done totally at the subconscious level) imposes a switching overhead cost. But there are plenty of situations where it can't be avoided. For example:<br /><br />--You're a pilot, getting ready for an approach to an airport. You are currently performing the task of reviewing your approach charts while listening to the airport information recording on the radio to get current weather and runways in use. At that precise time, air traffic control asks you to switch to a new frequency and call the new controller. You've also been descending to a new altitude, and need to level off at that altitude.<br /> <br />--You're a business executive, working on next year's budget. One of your direct reports comes in and says she needs to talk to you immediately about an employee problem--says it can't wait. You sigh, set the budget aside, and ask her to site down. Then your exec assistant comes in and says that a very large customer is on the line and he's very upset about something.<br /><br />David Fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15464681514800720063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-88801271596496873062022-11-16T11:12:16.037-08:002022-11-16T11:12:16.037-08:00Functional MRI (which shows what areas of the brai...Functional MRI (which shows what areas of the brain are activated at what time) proved some years ago that no one multitasks. Multitasking is just switching back and forth between incompleted tasks rather than completing one task and moving to the next. It is more efficient not to multitask when possible, but sometimes it is not possible. When software engineers were given individual offices with doors they could close, they were much more productive than in a large open office.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-32034055315871673032022-11-16T09:31:50.562-08:002022-11-16T09:31:50.562-08:00Surely this is true in many contexts, but its also...Surely this is true in many contexts, but its also true that some tasks take mental attention, and some tasks can be run on autopilot most of the time.<br /><br />For example, you can drive a car and listen to the radio at the same time. You eyes are focused on the road and your body can react to a curving road, and be aware of obstacles without being immediately aware, and only when something moves in an unexpected way does your attention get pulled 100% to the car. So your attention may be 90% on a good program on the radio, and a car swerves in front of you, revealing debris they're avoiding, and you must also avoid. And once the danger passed, and your nerves calm, you'll have NO IDEA what they were saying on the radio for the last 30 seconds, but it doesn't matter too much usually, so no real loss. And driving for hours, not really challenging you makes it easy to get sleepy, so sometimes I'd try reciting the alphabet backwards a few times to wake up my mind, and it might be just moving my focus away from the road helps too. Of course if you're a race car driver going 120mph, with others close around you, and need to make quick decisions to exploit a gap, or avoid disaster, that's probably plenty challenging by itself.<br /><br />Maybe we shouldn't include autopilot attention as a part of multitasking? Or perhaps the problem with multitasking is that it can become addictive, so we say can't handle quiet, always need tour mind stimulated, then you lose "mindfulness", an ability to make decisions with awareness, instead always choosing what is stimulating and feels good rather than what is productive and necessary.<br /><br />And on the opposite side, meditation SEEMS unstimulating, and unproductive, and it could be part of the discipline in focus includes learning how to quiet unwanted thoughts when you need to.<br /><br />Anyway, we can say it takes discipline to NOT multitask when your mind is bored, and probably it is better to set time goals, and take regular breaks, than let your mind distract from a task at hand.<br />Ares Olympushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09726811306826601686noreply@blogger.com