human multi-tasking, a myth or just misunderstood?

[Darren Dirt]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11035055

related: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8219212.stm


in brief: sure as human beings we can do multiple tasks "at the same time", but when you look at the KIND of tasks they are, they don't really conflict with each other, in terms of fighting for the same brain-space. But when/if you DO try to do 2+ tasks that are similar but each require concentrated focus, you're gonna fail, almost always; like trying to listen to and comprehend 2 different narrative speeches, or compose an email while talking to someone on the phone -- good luck in doing well in EITHER of those tasks if you are multi-ing them!


I recall years ago posting a link to some similar article (I think from Paul Graham*) re. developers and multi-tasking... there's a significant chunk of time for the "switch gears" requirement. Hence it being a "myth", for the most part.



*or maybe not -- http://www.paulgraham.com/articles.html cant' find it, although Google did help me find this: http://geekswithblogs.net/MarkPearl/archive/2012/07/17/the-human-multitasking-problem-ndash-the-cost-of-a-context.aspx

and also I found this -- which is at least tangentially about context-switching (and the cost of it) http://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html

[Mr. Analog]

Anecdotal I know but the worst kind of people I've encountered are the ones who *think* they can multi-task but can't and end up becoming bottlenecks.

Most of them have been managers, where self-delusion seemed to be some kind of hiring requirement.

[Lazybones]

Anecdotal I know but the worst kind of people I've encountered are the ones who *think* they can multi-task but can't and end up becoming bottlenecks.

Most of them have been managers, where self-delusion seemed to be some kind of hiring requirement.

That is where delegating and making sure your team members arn't forced into multi-tasking deadlock becomes a challenge

[Mr. Analog]

Anecdotal I know but the worst kind of people I've encountered are the ones who *think* they can multi-task but can't and end up becoming bottlenecks.

Most of them have been managers, where self-delusion seemed to be some kind of hiring requirement.

That is where delegating and making sure your team members arn't forced into multi-tasking deadlock becomes a challenge

^^^^ Abso-fruckin'-lutely this ^^^^

[Darren Dirt]

related/mergecandidate? http://forums.righteouswrath.com/index.php/topic,9541.msg71140.html#msg71140