Multiple Dimensions of Multitasking Phenomenon

Abstract

Multitasking is defined as conducting two or more tasks simultaneously or switching quickly between two or more tasks. While multitasking is not a new concept, it has caught more attention in recent years. Whether one sees it as an illusion, a fad, a new phenomenon, or an evolving human capacity, it is important to establish a baseline of what activities are involved in multitasking for scholarly inquiries and discoveries. This paper examines the multitasking phenomenon through personal stories of 43 undergraduate students (age 21-29) and 30 children (age 6-11). The stories revealed a wide range of perceptions and experiences of multitasking, from walking while breathing, to doing homework while watching TV and surfing online, to texting while driving, and to performing complex professional skills. This vast range of experiences may have contributed to the varied views and debates on human beings’ capabilities of multitasking to date. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to bring to light the multiple dimensions of multitasking as it relates to attention, ability, expertise, technology, and environment. This endeavor serves as a foundation for further studies on human’s capacity for multitasking.