![]() Most researchers explain typical performance decrements in multitasking with a structural capacity limitation, a so-called processing bottleneck (e.g., Pashler, 1998), at which certain cognitive processes proceed serially (i.e., one at a time only). Based on the current literature, we answer two key questions of multitasking: (1) What constitutes efficient and adaptive multitasking? (2) Which processes determine multitasking efficiency? However in multitasking, severe performance costs occur when combining even the simplest cognitive tasks for simultaneous execution. Does the human mind have the structural and functional means for efficient multitasking? The architectural properties of the nervous system allow for widely distributed simultaneous neural processing in billions of neurons. Growing demands on information processing due to increasing multimedia interactions call for higher efficiency. We conclude that efficient multitasking is reflected by the ability of individuals to adjust multitasking performance to environmental demands by flexibly shifting between different processing strategies of multiple task-component scheduling.Ī central aim in cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience research on multitasking is to understand and optimize the underlying processes in order to increase efficiency when dealing with multiple tasks at the same time. ![]() We review empirical evidence and demonstrate that shifting between more parallel and more serial task processing critically depends on the conditions under which multiple tasks are performed. Therefore, questions focusing exclusively on either task-processing mode are too simplified. Parallel and serial processing of multiple tasks are not mutually exclusive. In addition, we highlight how methodological differences and theoretical conceptions determine the extent to which parallel processing in multitasking can be detected, to guide their employment in future research. This review features a discussion of theoretical considerations and empirical evidence regarding parallel versus serial task processing in multitasking. In the context of performance optimizations in multitasking, a central debate has unfolded in multitasking research around whether cognitive processes related to different tasks proceed only sequentially (one at a time), or can operate in parallel (simultaneously).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |