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Subscribe to RSSScientists have discovered why it becomes harder and harder to multitask as we age. Just as our bodies become stiffer, our brains become less maneuverable as we get older, a new study shows.
Older brains, researchers found, have trouble refocusing after they’re interrupted or distracted.
While nobody’s particularly good at multitasking, we do get worse as we age, says Dr. Adam Gazzaley, study co-author, associate professor of neurology, physiology and psychiatry and director of the neuroscience imaging center at the University of California, San Francisco.
Gazzaley looked at the impact of interruptions and distractions on “working” memory. This type of memory is like the screen on a computer. Just as we can edit and manipulate words on the screen before we save them to the hard drive, with working memory we can take in information and mull it over in our brains without committing it to permanent memory. That's why we can do simple calculations and compose short works in our heads.
Gazzaley and his team suspected that interruptions and distractions might interfere more with the working memories of older people and explain the occurrence of “senior moments,” like forgetting what you wanted from the fridge after you’re interrupted by a phone call.
To test this, the researchers ran a simple experiment with the help of 22 young people (average age 25) and 20 seniors (average age 69). While in a functional MRI machine, each study volunteer was shown a nature scene and asked to remember it for about 15 seconds. While they were thinking about the scene, the volunteers were briefly shown a picture of a face and then asked to determine its age and gender.
When the 15 seconds were up, they were shown another nature scene and asked whether it was the scene they’d been asked to remember or a new one.
As the researchers expected, the older people had more trouble than their younger counterparts remembering whether the second picture was the same as the original one. When the researchers looked at the fMRI scans, they could see what was happening during the experiment as some parts of the brain lit up while others dimmed.
When people were interrupted from thinking about the scene, the part of the brain responsible for memory maintenance went offline, while the parts of the brain needed to make a decision about age and gender fired up. After the decision was made, the memory maintenance network came back online, while the decision-making regions turned off.
The switching process went smoothly for the younger people. But the brains of the older people had trouble turning off the decision-making regions and firing the memory maintenance network back up.
What this means, Gazzaley says, is that the older you get, the more trouble you’ll have switching back and forth between tasks. So, if you have an important deadline to meet, you might want to silence your cell phone ringer and mute your computer so you don’t know when new emails come shooting through.
What are some tricks you've developed to keep yourself focused?
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I don't agree. My parents are in their 70's and are just as good at multi-tasking as their were when I was a child. I'm the same way. I've been a multi task oriented person from childhood and get more done in a day doing it that way. Keep your brain active and it won't atrophy on you....
You are under the delusion that you are a multi-tasker. The reality of the matter is nobody is good at multitasking because our brains are not wired to do it.
Gumps, you just need to consider the source. Soyna, afterall, is from Texas, and nobody brags better than a Texan!
There is science, and then there is real life. If they can multi-task so well, how come they can never remember to leave the mayo off my hamburger? And at least I can make change for a dollar -- without a cash register telling me how.
Just teasing, kids. Enjoy it while you have it. :)
Gumps, everyone who can do anything does what is called multitasking. But the word has become confused with multithreading-actually a computer process that humans cannot do. Actual multitasking is just breaking several things into many small tasks and devoting attention to each one for a short time and rapidly switching attention to the next chosen 'task'. Multithreading, which people now believe they are doing when they multitask, is simultaneously calling up several tasks and then letting them all simultaneously develop as they will. So, 'to make a long story short', everyone is under a delusion nowadays.
Ya don't say! It took a study to determine this? Grandpa Walton already made these observations. Maybe someone could fund a study to determine why a chicken with its head cut off runs in circles!
My grandmother did many things simultaneously. She didn't have a fancy word for what she did. She just went around doing her work. Some people like to make a mountain out of a mole hill.
This article didn't say that older people COULDN'T multitask, just that they were less efficient at it. You can continue to multitask until the day you die, but you're probably doing it a little less effectively as time goes by. You're just not aware of it.
I believe that the article is true. Yes, there will always be exceptions but those exceptions don't disprove the rule.
they could have asked nearly anyone over 60 and they could have told them this without spending millions lol
The human brain does not multitask. It simply divides it attention between the different number of tasks, but it still only focuses on one task at a time.
A simple search on the internet would tell
Dr. Adam Gazzaley this. But then, his field is
Dr. Adam Gazzaley, "study co-author, associate professor of neurology, physiology and psychiatry and director of the neuroscience imaging center at the University of California, San Francisco."
Why does UCSf insist on crapping on its science department that way? Psychiatry is in no way a "science", neither is psychology.
Junichiro,
I can see that you were multitasking while you wrote this comment..
Psychiatry and psychology are sciences because the scientific method is used to study behavior. To some people, I am sure, this is a frightening proposition. Especially when someone who studies behavior might discover that some goofball has no social skills.
Oh no, they are NOT science. They are mumbo-jumbo developed and studied by people with severe personality problems.
You want to read the most ridiculously stupid junk ever published? Read Freud.
Celia-3146090, you are right only because the sciences (yes, sciences) of psycology and psycotherapy have organized themselves in this inept way. This type of medicine has become 'mumbo-jumbo' too often while surrounded by sometimes well-meaning - but too often inept individuals with very deep pockets (more than a degree can really be valued), while being overshadowed by a monstrous pharmaceutical industry.
And Freud is a joke, not because of his original and profound theories, but because he turned his back partlly because of peer pressure upon what he himself had written, and basically started accusing those who came for help of just imagining their mental problems. This has had a horrible effect for years, especially upon the field of child psycology, and upon sexual trauma victims, because even laws were based upon Freud's later practices.
It's obvious that you are more knowledgeable than I on this subject, fgh. I know that those in the field I have talked with personally seem mostly... well, nuts. And oblivious.
Example: can't remember why, but I once saw a psychologist who asked me endless boring questions and I distracted myself by perusing the books in his bookcase. I said, "Interesting. We've read many of the same books." Not 5 seconds later he asked me, "Do you read much?" I responded, "Do you listen much?" And he hadn't a clue why I asked it. Probably thought I was crazy.
I don't have much use for them on the whole.
I'm fascinated with neurology though.
No, I am not an expert. I had three 100-level classes: basic psychology, child psychology, and abnormal psychology. What I know is a culmination of the classes, reading, viewing/listening to media, and meeting those who worked in the field, and patients, over several years.
Yes, it is true, a significant number of psychologists, psychotherapists, and social workers are completely whack. The problem with this not only is that some of these characters were 'left out in the back 40'; the biggest problem are the huge salaries they now demand.
On one hand we're conditioned to juggle so many tasks at once in order to be 'productive' but then we're told that we must keep our stress levels in check, don't over-do it, and slow down. From that we're told to balance things and prioritize, setting achievable goals. But that takes time to learn and is another task itself to juggle with every damn thing else we have to do in 'life'
I find that as I get older that its getting more and more difficult and stressful to multitask but my brain is at its sharpest when I'm under a lot of pressure and have a lot to do. Never could figure out why.
In today's over stimulus environments, younger people are more conditioned for interruptions in tasks, while older are not. While younger people excel in gihly charged environments, they do not when tasked with one objective for long periods of time, as they have less focus on detail than their older counterparts. So, give the multitasking easier tasks to younger employees, and the most challanging task to an elder.
jujusimpson, I'm with you. When I'm under pressure I'm at the top of my game. I was a dispatcher for several years and handled no less than 41 trucks a day. When I arrived at work in the morning and got the turn over fromthe night shift and read the names of the drivers assigned to the trucks that day I would plug in my head set, step in front of the computer and dispatch window and I was in my zone. I would dispatch trucks, trains, print out EIR's and give each driver at the window a car location and the ramp loader incoming can orders. There was no one better than me at that job, hell people would come to our office and watch in amazement how well I coordinated those trucks. I stood there no less than 10 hours a day, they called me an adrenaline junkie. When they relocated the job out of town it took 3 people to do the job I did. I love multi-tasking, do it everyday, it keeps me alive!!!
"Scientists have discovered why it becomes harder and harder to multitask as we age."
I wish I hadn’t read this article.
Whilst I was reading it, I was (one ) conducting a "round table" with a group of ham radio operators in various parts of the world. (Two ) as I have a two screen arrangement on my computer, I was answering my e mail on the upper screen. (Three) I was interrupted by my teen aged great grandson, who had called on the land line asking me to explain a basic form of physics.
I never missed a beat. But then again I’m only 43, well actually that’s 43 times two! It sounds much better when I say it that way.
So, while you were discussing physics with your great grandson, you were no longer paying attention to what was going on in the ham radio round table discussion, nor were you focused on the email, or if you were, then your great grandson was waiting on you. All this time you <b>thought</b> you were handling all of those things at the same time, but if you really stopped to think, you were doing each serially, giving a little of your attention to each one. If there was a way to assess how accurate you performed all of those tasks, it's a safe bet that you would not have done well.
Gee Gumps, At my age ,all my friends give me some room to maneuver.
Actually I was culling my e mail list... As for my QSO on 20meters, I tossed in my great grandson’s question to the group and was bombarded with detailed explanations. Oh, I forgot to mention, it was a bit tricky, I must admit, but I was also putting the finishing touches to plastic model of a "Tin Goose " Ford Trimotor.
And yes, to some degree the actions were sequenced. But the trick is to switch from one activity to another without getting them all mixed up. As you suggest......"If there was a way to assess how accurate you performed all of those tasks, it's a safe bet that you would not have done well". Gump, you are probably right. But it takes some degree of skill to keep five balls up in the air without losing your own. Gee, I don't believe I just say that! On the other hand would you consider a "go" at playing chess against ten other people all at the same time. Now that's multi tasking! But as one of my old buddies said to me. " If your so bloody smart, why aren't you rich? He has a point.
Where'd they get thos 69 year olds, from in front of the TV? I'm 57 and work with a bunch of 20 somethings, and most of them can't concentrate on one thing, never mind two. I was taught to multitask as a child, no zoning out in front of the TV for us. You had to knit, keep an eye on dinner, croceht, make a rug or even iron while watching TV, it taught you to be able to focus on two things at once, especially ironing. And you'd better have been able to answer a question from my mom at the same time.
Now I find that if I don't distract myself from my boring as all get out job, I start losing it. Often if I find myself getting too bored and becoming unproductive I'll call up someone I know who can talk for a while and have a nice long conversation while I'm working and I get more done.
Few people multitask well. We all like to think we do. All you are really doing is being scattered.
I spent my career as a supervisor in a large company and I observed that those who were "multitasking" were making more mistakes and were more rushed and complained of being rushed.
If I pointed out errors in their work (mostly written reports, requests for proposals, etc.) their excuse was that they were multitasking and not paying attention. Exactly. Let us not multitask, I would tell them. Set priorities and work on one project and do it well. The products completed this way were almost always better.
It's OK to multitask making a fine meal or at the table visiting and eating with our friends. If you are doing something that is important and it needs to be done well, do just that thing. If you multitask on something important that needs to be done well, you probably won't do a good job. Concentrate on what you are doing and do a great job rather than an OK job.
Almost everyone thinks they are a better than average driver also.
We're not sure why we lie to ourselves, but studies have shown the benefits of being delusional about one's own ability.
Actually, as one gets older and more experienced, they realize that "multi-tasking" is a synonym for "doing more than one task at the same time, and doing neither well".
spike,
Well said and in less internet real estate than I used. Thank you!!!!
As I grew older, I found more progress if I focused on one task at a time. Completion of a task provided satisfaction and encouraged starting the next.
Why multitasking gets harder as we get older................... lazy!!!!!!!!!1
Laziness is a major component which the study neglected.
The simple fact is nobody is good at multi-tasking. You may think you are, but studies have shown that people actuallyl perform poorly on the tasks they attempt to do in parallel. The plain simple fact of the matter is the human brain isn't wired that way. True, you can, say pat your head and rub your tummy at the same time, but as the tasks become more involved, requiring more attention, your performance drops off sharply.
I consider myself a good multi-tasker, though I'm well over 70. I think it may have to do with my career work. In my very early years I was an air traffic controller. That's a multi-tasking job supreme. Thereafter - 45 years worth, I was an information technology practitioner and exceutive. Multi-tasking is a major component of that type of work. I did both jobs quite well.
Linda's article does a disservice to lots of older folks. It's a generalization that leads to stereoptyping and reinforces the myth that older people aren't reliable workers and so they shouldn't be hired. I can speak to that from personal experience.
Now that I am older I like more continuity than flipping from this to that and back again. Continuous.
When I see people watching a movie than start to text or talk and then text again and then go back to the movie (not in theatres) I see why they aren't very solid on anything. It's too bad, you can't tell them, they think you don't know what's happening. Didn't they used to say "Do one thing and do it well."
I like to delegate too. It's easier on the bod.
This whole comment sounds sexy doesn't it. Didn't mean to.
Multitasking is highly over rated. When our attention is divided we can pay less of it to each of the "things" we are trying to do simultaneously. If the matter is important, do one thing at a time. For instance, I understand the factor that is the biggest contributor to auto accidents by teen drivers (I guess they are not in the older group at which the article is pointed) is being distracted by conversation from other teens riding in the car. Multitasking reduces the attention everyone can focus on each individual activity.
From the author's bio on the web: "Linda Carroll has been a nationally respected health writer for seventeen years. While covering a broad range of health topics for MSNBC.com and The New York
Times, she has developed a specialized expertise in brain science."
Really???
How much of hard-earned taxpayer's money went into this "study?"
Sometimes, I have several things to do, but I get distracted and I forget what I was going to do. I've developed a technique in which I keep the list of things to do in my head. As I am doing one of the things I keep reminding myself, in my head, of the things left to do. Of course, this only works for things that are of very short duration and must be done one after another. For example, I might need to throw out the trash, pack my meds and turn up the AC before heading to my girlfriend's place for the weekend. I mentally keep this list in my head and proceed to follow through each task before leaving the house.
Linda, this is an excellent piece, well written and researched. I'm a boomer--my blog and a new video series focus on female baby boomer health--and for sure, I am noticing this with my own cognition. It's actually quite troubling, as my mom developed vascular dementia in her mid-80s and I wonder... I find having a dozen windows open on the computer as I'm researching, and as many documents, to be distracting at best. Focus, focus, focus...Maybe now I won't worry so much about multi-tasking! (Or will I???)
I am sorry to say that my brain multi-tasks every time I am driving my car. By the way do you see that traffic lights all the way down the street, the cars on the cross streets, the persons in the crosswalks, the squirrels running up the trees, the trash blowing across the lanes of traffic and etc. I do not believe texting while driving is right, as most states have Passed a LAW because as much information we are processing, we need both hands on the wheel.
The question is why a supposedly reputable website like this puts up an article talking about "multi-tasking" in the first place when science, as Gumps pointed out, has already determined that MT is a myth. The brain is wired to process only one thought at a time. What Buddhists call "monkey mind" - the mind jumping from one random thought to another at lightning speed - merely gives the illusion that we can hold more than one thought at a time. Just ask anyone who's had a car accident while texting or talking on the phone - or tried to hit a golf ball while thinking about the gas bill you forgot to pay. They'll tell you.
People with Alzheimer's disease can't remember and don't know why.
People with Old Timer's disease can't remember and don't care why.
"tracker" -
Perhaps you're a member of the REAL ADHD (Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder) group?
These guys did the wrong study. Instead of looking for age differences they should have looked for differences between a group diagnosed with ADD and a group where nobody had ADD.
I bet the ADD group did very well flitting from one task to another - we live that way. There might be other interesting differences between the group members because people with ADD are able to HYPER-FOCUS - or block everything out except the task at hand, and stay with that one task for days.
I'd love to see the brain scans of some of these subjects when they are interrupted in the middle of a hyper-focus session, no matter what the age of the subject.