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Individual differences in everyday multitasking behavior and its relation to cognition and personality.
Samsad Afrin Himi1,2, Gregor Volberg3, Markus Bühner4
1Department of Psychology, Jagannath University, Dhaka, 1100, Bangladesh. samsad@psy.jnu.ac.bd.
Psychological Research
|July 5, 2022
Summary
Multitasking ability is linked to cognitive functions like executive functions and personality traits. Individual differences in multitasking can be explained by cognitive abilities, with personality traits moderating this relationship.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Individual Differences Research
Background:
- Multitasking, the ability to focus on multiple tasks simultaneously, is a critical cognitive function.
- Empirical studies increasingly link multitasking to cognition and personality, attracting significant research attention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and integrate findings on individual differences in multitasking behavior.
- To examine the links between multitasking, cognitive constructs, and personality traits.
- To propose conceptual models for understanding multitasking as a psychometric construct.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of 43 empirical studies meeting inclusion criteria.
- Investigation of cognitive constructs: executive functions (shifting, updating, inhibition), working memory, relational integration, divided attention, reasoning, and prospective memory.
- Consideration of personality traits: polychronicity, impulsivity, and the Five-Factor Model.
Main Results:
- Individual differences in multitasking behavior are significantly explained by cognitive abilities.
- Personality traits moderate the relationship between multitasking behavior and cognitive functions.
- Two new conceptual models are proposed to explain multitasking behavior.
Conclusions:
- Multitasking behavior is a complex psychometric construct influenced by both cognitive abilities and personality.
- Future research should explore these proposed models and their implications.
- Understanding the interplay between cognition and personality in multitasking is crucial for future research directions.
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