Multitasking Science Fair 1b2v1d

Science Fair Report DONE BY: MACOMA ABBOTT, JENNA VAN DER NEUT, CINTIA PEGUERO, ASHANI RICHARDSON, BRANDON LIBIER, GERALDINE BENDERS, NIKITA SUJANANI, AJANI DESTIN Group 4 – Ms. Jill Multitasking

Abstract In the 21st century people are trying to do more. We try to be more competitive. We try to achieve the impossible. Humans today try to push their limits in many ways. One of them being multitasking. We are trying to complete as much as we can in short periods of time. The question is, are we really doing what we think we are. Are we doing better? Are we achieving more? Is multitasking really working for us? In this project we will find out.

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Table of Content Research Question and Hypothesis………………………………………………….….. pg 3. Background Research……………………………………………………………….…….…. pg 4. Material List………………………. ……………………………………………………………. pg 8. Experimental Procedure…………………………………………………………………..… pg 9. Results…………………………………………………………………………… …………….. pg 12. Data Analysis……………………….. ………………………………………………………...pg 14. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………… ……………… pg 16. Our overall Experience……………………………………………………………………… pg 17. Ideas for the future…………………………………………………………………………...pg 17. Bibliography………. …………………………………………………………………………...pg 17.

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Question, Variables, Hypothesis Research Questions: Is multitasking actually possible? How does trying to multitasking affect memory, efficiency, and agility? Hypothesis: We believe that multitasking will not have a good effect on our memory, efficiency, and agility due to the fact that our brains will have to work extra hard to keep up proving that multitasking is not actually possible? Variables:

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Independent Variable- People (Different ages, Different Genders, Different strengths and weaknesses) Dependent Variables- Whether a person improves or does worse in quality of work, whether a person re, whether a person is able to concentrate on two things at the same time. Controlled Variables- The math test, The color flash cards, The obstacle course.

Background Research Multitasking can be defined as the execution of numerous tasks by one person at the same time. The brain is intended to focus on one things at a time, and forcefully fulling it with information doesn’t only slow it down, but increases the mistakes to be made, and temporally changes the way the brain operates. The truth is on about 2% of the world’s population can multitask. They are known as super multitaskers. It is PAGE 4

actually a type of genetic gift which most of us do not have. This 2% are able to do multiple things at the same time, but they do not loose efficiency or quality of their work. Fun fact? Research has also shown that in general women are better multitaskers than men. We can actually shift our focus really fast. It can take only a 10th of a second, though it is not as important as the bandwidth the brains needs to move back and forth. The bandwidth is what is actually affecting your performance and the quality of work you will produce.

More than one task splits the brain When you need to pay attention, an area toward the front of the brain called the prefrontal cortex is in action. The prefrontal cortex is the cerebral cortex covering the front part of the frontal lobe, which contains Brodmann areas 9, 10, 11, 12, 46, and 47. This region of the brain is associated with a person's personality, planning, PAGE 5

expressions, decision making, moderating social behavior and the motivational system. It helps in fixing attention on a goal and coordinates messages with other brain systems to carry out the task. The right and left sides of the prefrontal cortex work together when focused on a single task. However, when attempting to perform two tasks at once the sides work independently. When one task is started in one side of the brain but not completed before another task is commanded, a completely new activity is stated on the other side of the brain. Therefore, two activities are not being executed simultaneously but the brain is dividing attention from one part of the brain to another part. This kills brain cells. The brain can shift focus quickly, sometimes in less than a second. This constant taskswitching encourages bad brain habits. When a tiny task is completed a small portion of dopamine, the reward hormone is released from the brain. Encouraging exchanges of little mini-tasks that is enjoyed by the brain. This creates a dangerous cycle that makes people feel like they're accomplishing many things, regardless of

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the fact that they're not achieving anything in abundance or significance.

Multitasking lowers your work quality and efficiency. Multitasking is ambiguous; it deters performance and damages the brain. It is less productive than doing one single thing at a time. Due to multitasking organizing thoughts and filtering out irrelevant information becomes difficult. This reduces the efficiency and quality of work because the brain can only complete tasks separately. The brain doesn't have the capability to execute two tasks at once. Multitasking also increases the production of cortisol, which is the stress hormone. When the brain is constantly shifting from the left to the right side, it causes stress to rise which is tiring.

The damage could be permanent. Recent research suggests that cognitive damage associated with multi-tasking could be permanent. A study from the University of Sussex (UK) ran MRI scans on the brains of individuals who spent time on PAGE 7

several devices at once (texting while watching TV, for example). As a result, the MRI scans showed that subjects who multitasked more frequently had less brain density in the anterior cingulate cortex. That's the area responsible for empathy and emotional control.

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Material List        

Math Test Headphones Music Timer Flash Cards with colors Pen Paper Computer Random House hold items (For Obstacle)

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Experimental Procedure Experiment #1- Efficiency 1. Two different simple math tests were made consisting of simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. 2. Each subject received the first test to do. 3. One set of subjects were given music to listen to during the test, while the other set did it in a quiet environment. 4. After finishing the first test the subjects were given the second test to do. 5. Those who did the first test with music had to do it in a quiet environment, while the other had to do it with music. 6. The tests were taken back from each of the subjects and graded. 7. The subjects scores were recorded. Experiment #2- Memory 1. Each subject was showed cards 7 with colors written on them in a specific sequence and was told to memorize them. 2. When they felt they had it memorized we began to test them. PAGE 10

3. A different set of cards with colors of them in a random order was showed to the subjects and they had to repeat the name of the color shown. This went on for 2 minutes. 4. After finishing the round of cards, the subjects were asked to repeat the sequence of colors repeated to them. 5. Their results were recorded. Or 1. The subjects were given 7 cards to before the experiments begun. 2. After completing the first experiment the subjects each had a conversation with a group member consisting a random questions and small talk. 3. After 10 minutes the subject were asked to repeat the colors to us. 4. Their results were recorded.

Experiment # 3- Agility 1. Two subjects were put on an identical obstacle course side by side. 2. They were each given a few sentences to type out. ‘The cat jumped over the fence. I could not chase the cat because the fence was too PAGE 11

high. I ran over to the neighbor’s house to find the cat. I found him behind the neighbors purple flower pot.’ 3. Both subjects had to reach the finish line with subject 1 walking while texting and subject 2 walking the course and then typing the text. 4. Their results were recorded.

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Results Experiment #1- Efficiency Subject Number

Without music Time

With Music

Mistakes

Time

Mistakes

Subject 1 5 min 56 sec.

7

4 min 6 sec.

3

Subject 2

5

7 min 13 sec.

8

Subject 3 5 min 28 sec.

2

6 min 43 sec.

4

Subject 4

2 min 8 sec.

1

2 min 11 sec.

1

1 min 38 sec.

1

2 min. 21 sec

3

Subject 5

9 min 1 sec.

Experiment #2- Memory First Set Subject 1  Time taken to recite cards before memory test- 1 min. 4 sec  Time taken to recite cards after studying cards- 34 sec PAGE 13

 How many cards ed- 2 Subject 2  Time taken to recite cards before memory test- 38 sec  Time taken to recite cards after studying cards- 28 sec  How many cards ed- 7 (All) Subject 3  Time taken to recite cards before memory test- 55 sec  Time taken to recite cards after studying cards- 41 sec  How many cards ed- 7 (All) Second Set Subject 4  Number of cards ed- 2 Subject 5  Number of cards ed- 3 Subject 6  Number of cards ed- 2

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Experiment #3- Agility Subject 1 completed the race first without incident. While subject 2 took a bit longer to complete it having had tripped up numerous times. Subject 2 took 1 minute and 20 secs to complete the course while subject 1 took 2 minutes and 3 secs. to complete the course.

Data Analysis In these experiments we set out to show just how impossible multitasking is for regular people. True multitasking is very vigorous activity for our brains. In the first experiment which contained a math test and music the results varied. We noticed that different people performed differently. The test results we all true to how all these subjects felt they would perform. When talking to the subjects the pattern scene was a following; the older subject felt more comfortable doing the test without music and actually performed better without music and the younger subjects who felt more comfortable with music performed better with music. While the subjects believed they were multitasking their brain was not. While performing these tasks the brain was

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doing the task of the math test but was not processing the music that was being listened to. When the music was being processed the brain stopped processing the math problems causing these subjects to make mistakes. In this experiment what was actually shown was the subjects ability to focus at one thing at a time.

With the first set of subjects for the memory experiment the majority of the subjects ed every single color. This happened due to the fact that the brain stores those cards meant to in its short term memory. When the round of cards was finished the brain could easily take it out of its short term memory easily allowing the subject to repeat them to us perfectly.

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While with the second set of subjects it was harder for them to due to the fact that when we try to things our brain chooses what it finds important to and what isn’t. While the subjects were going through each experiment their brain was eliminating what they were trying to while trying to fulfill a more important task of completing the test and having a conversation while giving their full attention.

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The third experiment was the experiment that showed an everyday problem in society. People are constantly walking and texting. This experiment showed that the subject that walked to their destination and then texted was able to complete their task faster. This is because they were able to pay full attention towards the obstacles in front of them. The person walking while texting took longer to finish due to the fact that they were constantly tripping and bumping into items in front of them due to their inobservance of their surrounding area.

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Conclusion Multitasking is not truly achievable. Our efficiency, memory, and agility are negatively affected by trying to multitask.

Our Overall Experience Our overall science fair experiment was quite interesting. We started this science fair project with a completely different idea. Even though it fell apart for us, the group worked hard to pick up ourselves and try our best to create a new project. We worked as hard as we could, but not without a few bumps. Next time we would like to be more organized and work even harder.

Ideas for Future Research In the future we would really like to explore our original plan of sleep deprivation. It is a serious problem among our generation and we would to observe the affects closely.

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Bibliography http://www.inc.com/larry-kim/why-multi-tasking-is-killingyour-brain.html http://www.brainfacts.org/sensing-thinkingbehaving/awareness-and-attention/articles/2013/themultitasking-mind/ http://edition.cnn.com/2015/04/09/health/your-brainmultitasking/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2014/10/08/ multitasking-damages-your-brain-and-career-new-studiessuggest/#38c19e3a2c16 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_multitasking http://www.inc.com/larry-kim/why-multi-tasking-is-killingyour-brain.html

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