If you think you are incapable of multi-tasking or feel it would fetch poor result, it is time that we stop bothering about the final product. A recent study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, proves that a mere assumption that a person is multi-tasking can boost the output of the work that he is indulged in.
But, for us Indians, is juggling between different tasks a new thing? I believe it is certainly not. For us, sleeping in school during classes is an art that we have mastered and has been descended to us since several generations. So if you just believe that you are multi-tasking, as per the study’s results, you can perform well.
‘Regardless of whether people actually engage in a single task or multiple tasks, making them perceive this activity as multitasking is beneficial to performance,’ stated researcher Shalena Srna of the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
But on the other front, observations made in several people reveal that in reality, humans cannot be attentive to several task at a given time, but we just vacillate between the given jobs.
However, the researcher says that thought that a person is involved in several tasks is flexible. If consciously considered, we may even realise that we naturally balance. You can read with the television on – yes, it is multitasking!
In the study conducted by the team, participants who believed they were juggling, is said to have transcribed more number of accurate words per second and performed well in comprehension quiz.
To bring a solid conclusion to the hypothesis proposed, the researcher assigned the work to solve two puzzles using a technology to track and measure the pupil dilation of the participants. It showed that the members exerted more pressure is switching between the puzzles and neither did it hamper the quality of the work.
The findings concluded by clearing that it does not necessarily require for a person to find the balance between different tasks, but just the belief that they are multi-tasking could provide better results.