Essay about Multitasking (Notes)

Submitted By bvsciano
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Journal Analysis
(The Effects Of Multitasking On An Individuals Performance)

CONTENTS

1. Findings

>Definition
>Positives
>Negatives
>Impact on business

2. Method Analysis

>Interpretation
>Reliability & Sources
>Alternative Methods

3. Conclusion

1) Findings

From reading & analysing this journal it is clear that there is a bias leaning toward a conclusion that multitasking has a negative effect on an individuals performance. There has also been an identification of a growing requirement for an individual’s capacity to multitask within the workplace, thus creating a need to improve or reduce the effects that multitasking may or may not have on performance.

1.1 Definition

Before analysing the findings presented in this article I first began to understand & characterise the definition of multitasking that had been used to base the evidence around in order to draw conclusions.

The main quotes that directly offer a description of multitasking are the following:

“Continuous partial attention” (Conley, 2011; Foehr, 2006)

“WMC (Working Memory Capacity) – The ability to retain information during short periods of time while performing a concurrent (and interfering) process.” (Colom, 2010)

[WMC – has been described as a value used in measuring performance in multitasking research]

The article then begins to focus attention on the relationship between critical thinking & multitasking. This is understandable, as the presence of characteristics identified in the description of critical thinkers will no doubt affect performance when an individual is multitasking.

Critical thinkers – “Identify central issues & assumptions in an argument, recognize important relationships, make correct inferences from data, deduce conclusions from information or data provided, interpret weather conclusions are warranted on the basis of the data given & evaluate evidence” (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991)

1.2 Negatives

The negative effects multitasking may have on performance have been identified & presented in this journal.

The main point that has been deemed negative is the fact that, when multitasking an individual uses several different parts of the brain for several functions. This is true, however does not give any indication of how performance will be affected. The evidence presented to imply the split use of different parts of the brain is a negative, states that when doing so, the “total brain activity decreases” (Just, Carpenter, Keller, Emery, Zajac, & Thulborn, 2001) this suggestion would validate the assumption that multitasking does have a negative effect on performance.

1.3 Positives

In this journal there are points & arguments made that in fact highlight positives associated with multitasking. A negative argument presented is that; “Increased levels of multitasking leads to a significant loss in accuracy” (Adler, 2012) this must be analysed & tested. However assuming truth in that argument, I still find it hard to associate the loss in accuracy to the fact that multitasking actually allows more time to be spent on task completion; “This use of the brain causes the worker who multitasks to spend more time completing a job” (Buser, 2011) The assumption made is that when we change between tasks & the focuses of our attention we are wasting time. “The brain wastes time going back & fourth between two or more problems” Buser, 2011)

I would argue that if more time is being spent on task completion & if the task is remaining a constant in the brain weather it is being worked on or not. Surely there will be more scope for the worker to identify corrections & improvements that need to be made to ensure the task is completed to the best of his/her ability. I would like to draw attention to the assumption that the brain is “wasting” time when changing between tasks & were I to be perusing this issue, I’d begin to identify &
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