R10

Quote: “Marois found evidence of a ‘response selection bottleneck’ that occurs when the brain is forced to respond to several stimuli at once. As a result, task switching leads to time lost as the brain determines which task to perform” (Rosen, 2008, p. 107).

Question: After reading the article about multi-tasking, I began to think differently than I have before as it pertains to the idea of performing tasks simultaneously. In today’s society, we almost have no other choice than to be skilled in multi-tasking, so if we can do more than one task at once is making good use of our time right? Is the old saying “killing two birds with one stone” a phrase that we should all embody? Or will taking on that phrase eventually be the result of performance deficits? Christine Rosen states asked the following question: “multitasking changed the way people learn,” what might this mean for today’s children and teens, raised with an excess of new entertainment and educational technology, and avidly multitasking at a young age?” (108).   

Personal Connection: Before reading this article and honestly reflecting on my personal experiences, I would have said that I am always an effective ‘multi-tasker’. However, I began to think how effective I really am when performing many tasks at the same time. As a graduate student, multitasking has almost become second nature for me, as I constantly juggle practicum, work, school, and social activities. I have noticed that over time as a graduate student, I am unable to attend to every single facet of my life all at the same time and it be successful. I have learned that I can multitask when one task takes little to no cognitive processing, and is almost automatic, while attending to another task that may take more concentration. I tend to get in trouble when both tasks require intense concentration, and I attempt to attend to both tasks; this usually results in failure to be effective with both tasks at hand.

Outside Connection: The above video clip is an example of multitasking. It is a brief illustration to some of the principles described in Rosen's article.