The truth about multi-tasking
February 23rd, 2010 at 1:27 pm (Adult ADD/ADHD)
Adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, are hardwired for hyperactivity, distraction and impulsivity. These individuals struggle with organization, prioritization and time management. They overlook details, need extra motivational nudges and may not socialize well with the rest of the staff. Perhaps the biggest difference of all, however, is that people with ADHD have difficulty transitioning from one task to the next. They are the modern world’s anti-multitaskers.
So the question becomes: Can a mind in hyperdrive keep up?
According to Russell Poldrack, associate professor of psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles, multitasking’s reputation as a timesaving tool is undeserved. “In general, it’s almost always worse to try to do two things at once than it is to do each of those things separately,” he says. “This is because there is a bottleneck in the mind in terms of how people process things psychologically. There are certain things—such as choosing what action to take—that you can only do at one time, regardless of if you have ADHD or not,” says Poldrack.
If a person is multitasking, her mind needs a few seconds to readjust to each new task, the psychologist explains. “Think of it as if you are trying to use Word and Excel at the same time and every time you switch programs, you have to quit the program you’re working on and restart the program you’re moving to.”
People with ADHD can multitask, according to Poldrack. “It’s just harder for them to switch back and forth from one task to the next,” he says. “They need more time to restart their new program.”
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Source: Multitasking for a Hyperactive Mind When you can’t focus on one thing, how can you focus on several? Hint: You don’t.
by Bethany Lye for MSN Health & Fitness
