One Thing at a Time

"What we call multitasking is a quick shifting of attention, rather than accurate parallel processing."

"Single-tasking boosts performance by eliminating the cognitive costs of constantly switching focus."

"The brain's attentional system operates according to a capacity model, with a gatekeeper that filters incoming sensory information."

"By allowing only one stream of information into full awareness, the mind conserves energy and avoids performance drops."

Multitasking is often perceived as a virtue in productivity, but cognitive science reveals it involves quick attention shifts rather than genuine parallel processing. Each switch incurs a mental reconfiguration cost that diminishes overall performance. The brain prioritizes single-tasking by filtering incoming sensory information to conserve energy and maintain focus. This filtering mechanism prevents sensory overload, while allowing multiple potential actions to coexist in low-level buffers until needed. Ultimately, single-tasking leads to better performance by avoiding the cognitive burdens associated with divided attention.

Read at Psychology Today