Divided Attention
Attempting to focus on multiple tasks or stimuli simultaneously, usually with reduced performance.
Also known as: Split attention, Multitasking attention, Dual-task attention
Category: Concepts
Tags: attention, cognition, multitasking, focus, psychology
Explanation
Divided attention is the attempt to focus on multiple tasks or stimuli at once. While we often try to 'multitask,' cognitive research consistently shows limitations: attention divided means attention diluted. When tasks require the same cognitive resources, performance on both degrades. Divided attention works better when: tasks use different modalities (listening while walking), one task is automated (driving while talking, for experienced drivers), or tasks don't compete for the same resources. It works poorly when: both tasks require focused thought, tasks are novel or complex, or decisions are needed. The feeling of successful multitasking often masks actual performance decrements - we're worse than we think. Some individuals divide attention better than others, but no one truly multitasks on cognitively demanding work. For knowledge workers, understanding divided attention means: recognizing that parallel work usually means worse work, and deliberately single-tasking on important cognitive tasks.
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