Switching Costs: Subtle costs associated with switching tasks can negatively impact efficiency and increase risks.
What the Research Shows
Impact on Productivity:
Multitasking, especially involving complex tasks, reduces productivity significantly.
The human brain is not designed for multitasking demands similar to choreography and air-traffic control where overload can cause failures.
Task-Switching Experiments:
Experiments reveal that switching between tasks results in time costs.
Factors such as task complexity and familiarity influence the time cost of switching.
Research Findings:
Rogers & Monsell (1995): Identified slower response times on task-switch trials compared to task-repeat trials. Preparation time reduces but does not eliminate switch costs.
Meuter & Allport (1999): Found it can be harder to switch to habitual tasks, i.e., naming digits slower in the first language when switching from the second language.
Rubinstein, Evans & Meyer (2001): Demonstrated time loss when switching tasks, with greater costs for complex or unfamiliar tasks.
Yeung & Monsell (2003): Modeled complexities in task switching, indicating cognitive load challenges in real-life multitasking scenarios.
What the Research Means
Human "executive control" includes "goal shifting" and "rule activation" stages to aid task switching.
Switching costs, though small per switch, accumulate significantly and can impact productivity and safety, e.g., driving while on a cell phone.
Brief mental blocks from task shifting can reduce productive time by up to 40% (Meyer).
Application of Research
Efficiency Strategies: Avoid multitasking, especially with complex tasks, to boost efficiency.
Design Improvements: Insights into switching costs can inform the design of equipment and interfaces in high-stakes environments like vehicle operation.
Legislation: Research informs policies, e.g., restrictions on cell phone use while driving, to improve safety.
Sources & Further Reading
Gopher, D., Armony, L., & Greenspan, Y. (2000): Task switching and attention.
Meuter, R. F. I., & Allport, A. (1999): Bilingual language switching costs.
Meyer, D. E. & Kieras, D. E. (1997): Theories of executive cognitive processes.
Rogers & Monsell (1995): Costs of predictable task switching.
Others include studies by Rubinstein, Monsell, and Yeung exploring various aspects of task-switching and its cognitive implications.