Daily Brain Snack: Multitasking is Multiple Skills
New research shows three main types of multitasking
Haven’t you always said that the brain can’t multitask?
Not quite - I’ve said that our brains can only single task on cognitive tasks. The brain can and does operate in parallel, but it very much depends on the task.
Some obvious examples are we can walk and talk at the same time, we can breathe and read at the same time, etc. But as we raise the cognition and attention levels the less is able to be done and the more we focus on single tasks. So we may be able to drive and talk at the same time, but when parking in a tight spot, we will stop talking and pay attention to the task at hand.
This gives us clues to how the brain operates.
But in business many people are constantly multitasking?
Yes, indeed, this is a common problem - almost all research points to single sequential tasking as being more efficient - and considerably more efficient i.e. of you take five tasks and try to do them together vs. do them one at a time, you are much quicker, up two or three times quicker, doing them independently - and the quality is also higher.
So what is this research then?
The researchers, from the University of Surrey in the UK and Lignan University in Hong Kong, conducted various experiments and found three types of multitasking which are distinct abilities. This means they require different brain processes and may explain some of the discrepancies in the research or differences in gender that are popularly quoted.
What are the types of multitasking?
The three they identified are:
Task-switching, which is often the case in business, is switching, sometimes rapidly between tasks e.g. between writing this article and answering test messages. This requires general cognitive ability.
Concurrent, is when we do two things together such as driving and talking on the phone, this depends on automation but also task specific skills such as divided attention.
Complex multitasking, is when we are managing many things at once like managing a kitchen in a restaurant and requires prioritisation and flexible planning.
Are these trainable?
Everything is trainable to a degree. When I first moved to Switzerland more than 30 years ago I worked in a restaurant and my first day in the kitchen seemed like a loud, chaotic, confusing mess - but with time it became manageable - mostly.
However, that said, plenty of research still points to single sequential tasking as being most effective - certainly if it is something you need to think about and is important. It is also less stressful - it is a basic principle of a time management workshop I developed many years ago - and people still say it was one of the most useful trainings they had.
So single task!
When possible - I know it’s not realistic in many workplaces. But I am also sure that the more you single task the more effective you will be.
Reference
Lui, K. F. H., Ng, H. T. Y., Fan, P., Wong, Y. K., & Wong, A. C. -N. (2025).
Bridging concurrent multitasking, task switching, and complex multitasking: The general and specific skills involved.
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 51(7), 875–894.
https://doi.org/10.1037/xhp0001332