Multitasking across generations: Multitasking choices and difficulty ratings in three generations of Americans

This study investigated whether changes in the technological/social environment in the United States over time have resulted in concomitant changes in the multitasking skills of younger generations. One thousand, three hundred and nineteen Americans from three generations were queried to determine t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Computers in human behavior 2009-03, Vol.25 (2), p.483-489
Main Authors: Carrier, L. Mark, Cheever, Nancy A., Rosen, Larry D., Benitez, Sandra, Chang, Jennifer
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied psychology
Biological and medical sciences
Childhood development
Cognitive ability
Cognitive processes
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Miscellaneous
Perceptual motor processes
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Society
Sociocultural factors
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Summary:This study investigated whether changes in the technological/social environment in the United States over time have resulted in concomitant changes in the multitasking skills of younger generations. One thousand, three hundred and nineteen Americans from three generations were queried to determine their at-home multitasking behaviors. An anonymous online questionnaire asked respondents to indicate which everyday and technology-based tasks they choose to combine for multitasking and to indicate how difficult it is to multitask when combining the tasks. Combining tasks occurred frequently, especially while listening to music or eating. Members of the “Net Generation” reported more multitasking than members of “Generation X,” who reported more multitasking than members of the “Baby Boomer” generation. The choices of which tasks to combine for multitasking were highly correlated across generations, as were difficulty ratings of specific multitasking combinations. The results are consistent with a greater amount of general multitasking resources in younger generations, but similar mental limitations in the types of tasks that can be multitasked.
ISSN:0747-5632
1873-7692
DOI:10.1016/j.chb.2008.10.012