Question

What is the research question or hypothesis that is being tested? (The answer to this question can be found by reading the Introduction section of the article)

and this is the introduction.

Despite evidence that multitasking is non-facilitative and inefficient, it is nonetheless widespread and multitaskers take pride in this putative skill, considering it a favorable quality to list on resumes and job applications (Rosen, 2008). Bannister and Remenyi (2009) remark that it is commonly assumed that multitasking is a more effective way of working than the traditional single task approach. Commonly understood as engaging in two or more things at the same time, a more accurate definition of multitasking is the performance of multiple tasks sequentially and in quick succession (Dzubak, 2008). Although it is clearly possible to engage in two behaviors simultaneously (eating and listening to music; walking and carrying on a conversation), only one task can have the full attention of the conscious mind at any point in time (Pashler, 2000; Bannister & Remenyi, 2009). The subconscious mind, however, can simultaneously do those things that have been so ingrained by repetition and training that they have become automated or rote. Multitaskers switch from one task to another in rapid succession and engage a part of the frontal cortex called the Brodmann area. Functional magnetic resonance imaging studies have found a sort of traffic jam that occurs when that part of the cortex is faced with several stimuli at once (Dux, Ivanoff, Asplund, & Marois, 2006; Marois, Larson, Chum, & Shima, 2005). This bottleneck results in time lost as the brain attempts to determine which task to perform or which stimulus to attend to, thus resulting in less efficiency. Rubenstein, Meyer, and Evans (2001) found that the time lost when the brain switches attention increases with the complexity and the unfamiliarity of the tasks. Ophira, Nass, and Wagner’s (2009) studies with university students showed that the juggling between tasks leads to poorer performance as well as the increase in time needed to complete tasks.

Answer 1

The research question here would be, whether multitasking leads to deterioration in performance? (especially when the tasks are difficult or unfamiliar).

It hints at exploring the impact of multitasking on the productivity of the tasks that are being carried out. Perhaps, with respect to the quality of work produced (efficiency) and the amount of time taken to complete them.

thus, the possible hypothesis could be:

• multitasking leads to deterioration in performance
• switching between tasks while multitasking causes a loss of time