Who multi-tasks and why? Multi-tasking ability, perceived multi-tasking ability, impulsivity, and sensation seeking

• Published in: PloS one 2013-01, Vol.8 (1), p.e54402-e54402
• Main Authors: Sanbonmatsu, David M, Strayer, David L, Medeiros-Ward, Nathan, Watson, Jason M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Cognitive ability; Decision making; Decision theory; Executive function; Executive Function - physiology; Female; Human behavior; Humans; Impulsive behavior; Impulsive Behavior - psychology; Impulsivity; Individuality; Male; Memory; Multitasking; Multitasking (Human behavior); Personality Inventory; Psychology of learning; Risk-Taking; Self Efficacy; Self Report; Sensation - physiology; Social and Behavioral Sciences; Studies; Task Performance and Analysis; Wireless telephones
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054402

The present study examined the relationship between personality and individual differences in multi-tasking ability. Participants enrolled at the University of Utah completed measures of multi-tasking activity, perceived multi-tasking ability, impulsivity, and sensation seeking. In addition, they performed the Operation Span in order to assess their executive control and actual multi-tasking ability. The findings indicate that the persons who are most capable of multi-tasking effectively are not the persons who are most likely to engage in multiple tasks simultaneously. To the contrary, multi-tasking activity as measured by the Media Multitasking Inventory and self-reported cell phone usage while driving were negatively correlated with actual multi-tasking ability. Multi-tasking was positively correlated with participants' perceived ability to multi-task ability which was found to be significantly inflated. Participants with a strong approach orientation and a weak avoidance orientation--high levels of impulsivity and sensation seeking--reported greater multi-tasking behavior. Finally, the findings suggest that people often engage in multi-tasking because they are less able to block out distractions and focus on a singular task. Participants with less executive control--low scorers on the Operation Span task and persons high in impulsivity--tended to report higher levels of multi-tasking activity.