Multitasking across generations: Multitasking choices and difficulty ratings in three generations of Americans

  • Authors:

  • L. Mark Carrier;Nancy A. Cheever;Larry D. Rosen;Sandra Benitez;Jennifer Chang

  • Affiliations:

  • Department of Psychology, California State University, Dominguez Hills, 1000 E. Victoria Street, Carson, CA 90747, USA;Department of Communications, California State University, Dominguez Hills, 1000 E. Victoria Street, Carson, CA 90747, USA;Department of Psychology, California State University, Dominguez Hills, 1000 E. Victoria Street, Carson, CA 90747, USA;Department of Psychology, California State University, Dominguez Hills, 1000 E. Victoria Street, Carson, CA 90747, USA;Department of Psychology, California State University, Dominguez Hills, 1000 E. Victoria Street, Carson, CA 90747, USA

  • Venue:
  • Computers in Human Behavior
  • Year:
  • 2009

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Abstract

This study investigated whether changes in the technological/social environment in the United States over time have resulted in concomitant changes in the multitasking skills of younger generations. One thousand, three hundred and nineteen Americans from three generations were queried to determine their at-home multitasking behaviors. An anonymous online questionnaire asked respondents to indicate which everyday and technology-based tasks they choose to combine for multitasking and to indicate how difficult it is to multitask when combining the tasks. Combining tasks occurred frequently, especially while listening to music or eating. Members of the ''Net Generation'' reported more multitasking than members of ''Generation X,'' who reported more multitasking than members of the ''Baby Boomer'' generation. The choices of which tasks to combine for multitasking were highly correlated across generations, as were difficulty ratings of specific multitasking combinations. The results are consistent with a greater amount of general multitasking resources in younger generations, but similar mental limitations in the types of tasks that can be multitasked.