Deivi Barçi, Ergi Istrefi (Supervisior: Daniela Çuka)

ABSTRACT ASEF 2017-2018 (Social Science)

Multitasking: Brain Drain or Boost in Efficiency?
Idea of the project: Think it's a good idea to plug into iTunes, surf the Web, or watch TV while
doing homework or trying to read? Lots of people do it and claim that jumping from one activity
to another keeps their attention level up and even gives their brain some time to "relax"
between the more challenging tasks. Just how efficient is multitasking? In this project, we'll find
out after testing the ability of volunteers to successfully do two or more things at once.
Main Purpose: The goal of this project is to investigate the question: Can people really pay
attention to two things at once?
Background information:
Researchers have found that when we alternate between mental
tasks we activate the prefrontal cortex, an "executive control"
region of our brain's outer layer. This region acts like an air traffic
controller who must set priorities and manage incoming requests
from dozens of planes at a busy airport. The process takes energy,
focus, and time. Hardly a mental break for your brain.
According to scientific studies, it seems our brains generally
prefer to think about one thought at a time and not flit rapidly
from one focus to the next. Scientists distinguish between "multitasking," when we do more
than one thing at the same time like studying and listening to music, and "task switching" when
we rapidly change in succession from one unrelated task to another like a busy receptionist
answering phones between sending emails and welcoming visitors. Both are inefficient
processes for our brains according to their studies.
In this experiment, we will ask volunteers to complete a simple math test in two different
environments. One will be quiet with no distraction, the other will be filled with background
music so that it forces the volunteers to
multitask. We'll then compare how well the
volunteers accomplished the same type of test
under each condition.
The main concepts:

 Multitasking
 Task switching
 Executive brain activities
 Brain lobes – 4 main lobes
 Deivi Barçi, Ergi Istrefi (Supervisior: Daniela Çuka)

 Brain cortex – involved in integration of all inputs (thinking)

 Prefrontal lobe – “executive control” in order to respond, to think and to act.
Materials and Equipment
To do this experiment we will need the following materials and
equipment:
1. Two simple math tests with similar problems (each should take
about 10 minutes to complete)
2. Portable music players with headsets for each volunteer
3. Watch or timer
4. Room or area with tables and chairs for volunteers to take tests
5. Note pads
6. Pens/pencils
Procedure

 Recruit the volunteers and let them know the date and time of the experiment.
 Remind them to bring their music players with a head set.
 Prepare two simple math tests using addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. Each
test should take about 10 minutes to complete, should be equally challenging, and have the
same number of problems. Make enough copies so that every person has his/her own copy
of each test to write on.
 The day of the test, explain briefly to the volunteers what they will be doing. Tell them they
should not feel rushed since you will be giving them
plenty of time to finish. You should note the start and
finish times of each volunteer (or have each volunteer
record their start and finish times on the test).
 Ask half your volunteers to take the first test without
their music players on, and the other half should take the
same test while listening to their favorite tunes.
 When everyone if finished with the first test, reverse the
groups so now those volunteers who took the "quiet" test
can listen to their music players and vice versa. Hand out the second version of the math
test and give the groups the same amount of time to take the test as you did the first time.
Again, record the start and stop times of each volunteer (or have each volunteer record
their start and finish times on the test).
 Ask your volunteers to write down how they felt they did on the first test versus the second
test.

o We will also ask the volunteers for task switching while they are doing the exam to
see how the brain responds to it.
 Deivi Barçi, Ergi Istrefi (Supervisior: Daniela Çuka)

Analysis and Procedure

1. First of all we should correct the test and see how many points each of the volunteers have
received.
2. Then we should create a table to clearly see what the difference between the first and the
second test is
3. We will draw a graph to see the changes
4. In the end we will understand how the brain responds to multitasking.

Volunteers (more than 2) Test 1 (Points) Without Music

Volunteers Test 2 (Points) With Music

Volunteers Test 3 (Points) Task Switching

Multitasking
6

0
Volunteer 1 Volunteer 2 Volunteer 3 Volunteer 4

Exam 1 Exam2 Exam 3

We will enter the values and we will see the difference, the average and in the end to hopefully
answer our question:
CAN REALLY PEOPLE PAY ATTENTION TO TWO THINGS AT ONCE?