Archive for August, 2009

According to a recent Standford University study people who do the most multi tasking, are the worst ones to do it. This is massively relevant for us college students. You might think that if you’re juggling your tweets, while texting your friend playing xbox and listening to your ipod you might be a tech wiz. According to this study you are apparently a lesser multi-tasker than those who simply divide their attentions to 1 or 2 items at a time.

I know what you’re thinking sharenotes.com, that sounds intuitive. Of course people who use less devices simultaneously are going to use them more efficiently, they have less going on. But that’s not exactly what the study shows. They first determined if their subjects were notorious multi-taskers or the kind that take on only 1-2 things at a time.

Then they divided them up into groups based on these findings and tested them on a level playing field in which memory, switching of task, filtering non-essential information and general focus where all tested. What they found was that those people who were the multi-taskers, where also the ones that scored lower on the tests. They were far more easily distracted and unable to filter out non essential information then the non multi-taskers.

I know there are plenty of you out there now on sharenotes.com reading this with a Wii-mote in one hand and a phone up to your ear while the stereo cranks. Now here is unfortunate part, they don’t yet know if being a multi-tasker causes the lower scores, or if people who score low on such tests are therefor more prone to be mulit-taskers.

We don’t know yet if simply reducing the amount of multi-tasking we do will increase our ability to focus, remember and filter out un-needed info, skills that are essential to the success of any college student. TIme and more studies may yet reveal that secret.

Anyone on sharenotes.com have a comment? I’d love to hear it please join the discussion on this or any topic on the sharenotes blog