Science Fair Report

DONE BY:
MACOMA ABBOTT, JENNA VAN DER NEUT,
CINTIA PEGUERO, ASHANI RICHARDSON,
BRANDON LIBIER, GERALDINE BENDERS,
NIKITA SUJANANI, AJANI DESTIN
Group 4 Ms. Jill
Multitasking

Abstract
In the 21st century people are trying to do more. We
try to be more competitive. We try to achieve the
impossible. Humans today try to push their limits in many
ways. One of them being multitasking. We are trying to
complete as much as we can in short periods of time. The
question is, are we really doing what we think we are. Are
we doing better? Are we achieving more? Is multitasking
really working for us? In this project we will find out.

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Table of Content
Research Question and
Hypothesis... pg 3.
Background
Research...
pg 4.
Material List.
. pg 8.
Experimental
Procedure.. pg
9.
Results
.. pg 12.
Data Analysis..
...pg 14.
Conclusion
pg 16.
Our overall
Experience
pg 17.
Ideas for the
future...pg
17.
Bibliography.
...pg 17.

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Question, Variables, Hypothesis

Research Questions: Is multitasking actually possible?
How does trying to multitasking affect memory,
efficiency, and agility?
Hypothesis: We believe that multitasking will not have
a good effect on our memory, efficiency, and agility due
to the fact that our brains will have to work extra hard to
keep up proving that multitasking is not actually possible?
Variables:

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Independent Variable- People (Different ages, Different

Genders, Different strengths and weaknesses)
Dependent Variables- Whether a person improves or does
worse in quality of work, whether a person remembers,
whether a person is able to concentrate on two things at
the same time.
Controlled Variables- The math test, The color flash cards,
The obstacle course.

Background Research
Multitasking can be defined as the execution of
numerous tasks by one person at the same time. The
brain is intended to focus on one things at a time, and
forcefully fulling it with information doesnt only slow it
down, but increases the mistakes to be made, and
temporally changes the way the brain operates.
The truth is on about 2% of the worlds population
can multitask. They are known as super multitaskers. It is
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actually a type of genetic gift which most of us do not

have. This 2% are able to do multiple things at the same
time, but they do not loose efficiency or quality of their
work.
Fun fact? Research has also shown that in general
women are better multitaskers than men.
We can actually shift our focus really fast. It can take
only a 10th of a second, though it is not as important as
the bandwidth the brains needs to move back and forth.
The bandwidth is what is actually affecting your
performance and the quality of work you will produce.

More than one task splits the brain

When you need to pay attention, an area toward the
front of the brain called the prefrontal cortex is in action.
The prefrontal cortex is the cerebral cortex covering the
front part of the frontal lobe, which contains Brodmann
areas 9, 10, 11, 12, 46, and 47. This region of the brain is
associated with a person's personality, planning,
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expressions, decision making, moderating social behavior

and the motivational system. It helps in fixing attention
on a goal and coordinates messages with other brain
systems to carry out the task.
The right and left sides of the prefrontal cortex work
together when focused on a single task. However, when
attempting to perform two tasks at once the sides work
independently. When one task is started in one side of the
brain but not completed before another task is
commanded, a completely new activity is stated on the
other side of the brain. Therefore, two activities are not
being executed simultaneously but the brain is dividing
attention from one part of the brain to another part. This
kills brain cells. The brain can shift focus quickly,
sometimes in less than a second. This constant taskswitching encourages bad brain habits. When a tiny task
is completed a small portion of dopamine, the reward
hormone is released from the brain. Encouraging
exchanges of little mini-tasks that is enjoyed by the brain.
This creates a dangerous cycle that makes people
feel like they're accomplishing many things, regardless of

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the fact that they're not achieving anything in abundance

or significance.

Multitasking lowers your work quality and

efficiency.
Multitasking is ambiguous; it deters performance and
damages the brain. It is less productive than doing one
single thing at a time. Due to multitasking organizing
thoughts and filtering out irrelevant information becomes
difficult. This reduces the efficiency and quality of work
because the brain can only complete tasks separately.
The brain doesn't have the capability to execute two
tasks at once.
Multitasking also increases the production of cortisol,
which is the stress hormone. When the brain is constantly
shifting from the left to the right side, it causes stress to
rise which is tiring.

The damage could be permanent.

Recent research suggests that cognitive damage
associated with multi-tasking could be permanent.
A study from the University of Sussex (UK) ran MRI
scans on the brains of individuals who spent time on
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several devices at once (texting while watching TV, for

example). As a result, the MRI scans showed that subjects
who multitasked more frequently had less brain density in
the anterior cingulate cortex. That's the area responsible
for empathy and emotional control.

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Material List

Math Test
Headphones
Music
Timer
Flash Cards with colors
Pen Paper
Computer
Random House hold items (For Obstacle)

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Experimental Procedure
Experiment #1- Efficiency
1. Two different simple math tests were made
consisting of simple addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division.
2. Each subject received the first test to do.
3. One set of subjects were given music to listen to
during the test, while the other set did it in a quiet
environment.
4. After finishing the first test the subjects were given
the second test to do.
5. Those who did the first test with music had to do it in
a quiet environment, while the other had to do it with
music.
6. The tests were taken back from each of the subjects
and graded.
7. The subjects scores were recorded.
Experiment #2- Memory
1. Each subject was showed cards 7 with colors written
on them in a specific sequence and was told to
memorize them.
2. When they felt they had it memorized we began to
test them.
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3. A different set of cards with colors of them in a

random order was showed to the subjects and they
had to repeat the name of the color shown. This went
on for 2 minutes.
4. After finishing the round of cards, the subjects were
asked to repeat the sequence of colors repeated to
them.
5. Their results were recorded.
Or
1. The subjects were given 7 cards to remember before
the experiments begun.
2. After completing the first experiment the subjects
each had a conversation with a group member
consisting a random questions and small talk.
3. After 10 minutes the subject were asked to repeat
the colors to us.
4. Their results were recorded.

Experiment # 3- Agility
1. Two subjects were put on an identical obstacle course
side by side.
2. They were each given a few sentences to type out.
The cat jumped over the fence. I could not
chase the cat because the fence was too
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high. I ran over to the neighbors house to

find the cat. I found him behind the
neighbors purple flower pot.
3. Both subjects had to reach the finish line with subject
1 walking while texting and subject 2 walking the
course and then typing the text.
4. Their results were recorded.

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Results
Experiment #1- Efficiency
Subject
Number

Without music
Time

With Music

Mistakes

Time

Mistakes

Subject 1 5 min 56
sec.

4 min 6
sec.

Subject 2

7 min 13
sec.

Subject 3 5 min 28
sec.

6 min 43
sec.

Subject 4

2 min 8
sec.

2 min 11
sec.

1 min 38
sec.

2 min.
21 sec

Subject
5

9 min 1
sec.

Experiment #2- Memory

First Set
Subject 1
Time taken to recite cards before memory test- 1
min. 4 sec
Time taken to recite cards after studying cards- 34
sec
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 How many cards remembered- 2

Subject 2
Time taken to recite cards before memory test- 38
sec
Time taken to recite cards after studying cards- 28
sec
How many cards remembered- 7 (All)
Subject 3
Time taken to recite cards before memory test- 55
sec
Time taken to recite cards after studying cards- 41
sec
How many cards remembered- 7 (All)
Second Set
Subject 4
Number of cards remembered- 2
Subject 5
Number of cards remembered- 3
Subject 6
Number of cards remembered- 2

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Experiment #3- Agility

Subject 1 completed the race first without incident. While
subject 2 took a bit longer to complete it having had
tripped up numerous times. Subject 2 took 1 minute and
20 secs to complete the course while subject 1 took 2
minutes and 3 secs. to complete the course.

Data Analysis
In these experiments we set out to show just how
impossible multitasking is for regular people. True
multitasking is very vigorous activity for our brains.
In the first experiment which contained a math test
and music the results varied. We noticed that different
people performed differently. The test results we all true
to how all these subjects felt they would perform. When
talking to the subjects the pattern scene was a following;
the older subject felt more comfortable doing the test
without music and actually performed better without
music and the younger subjects who felt more
comfortable with music performed better with music.
While the subjects believed they were multitasking their
brain was not. While performing these tasks the brain was

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doing the task of the math test but was not processing
the music that was being listened to. When the music was
being processed the brain stopped processing the math
problems causing these subjects to make mistakes. In
this experiment what was actually shown was the
subjects ability to focus at one thing at a time.

With the first set of subjects for the memory

experiment the majority of the subjects remembered
every single color. This happened due to the fact that the
brain stores those cards meant to remember in its short
term memory. When the round of cards was finished the
brain could easily take it out of its short term memory
easily allowing the subject to repeat them to us perfectly.

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While with the second set of subjects it was harder for

them to remember due to the fact that when we try to
remember things our brain chooses what it finds
important to remember and what isnt. While the subjects
were going through each experiment their brain was
eliminating what they were trying to remember while
trying to fulfill a more important task of completing the
test and having a conversation while giving their full
attention.

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The third experiment was the experiment that

showed an everyday problem in society. People are
constantly walking and texting. This experiment showed
that the subject that walked to their destination and then
texted was able to complete their task faster. This is
because they were able to pay full attention towards the
obstacles in front of them. The person walking while
texting took longer to finish due to the fact that they were
constantly
tripping and
bumping
into items in
front of
them due to
their
inobservance of their surrounding area.

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Conclusion
Multitasking is not truly achievable. Our efficiency,
memory, and agility are negatively affected by trying to
multitask.

Our Overall Experience

Our overall science fair experiment was quite
interesting. We started this science fair project with a
completely different idea. Even though it fell apart for us,
the group worked hard to pick up ourselves and try our
best to create a new project. We worked as hard as we
could, but not without a few bumps. Next time we would
like to be more organized and work even harder.

Ideas for Future Research

In the future we would really like to explore our
original plan of sleep deprivation. It is a serious problem
among our generation and we would to observe the
affects closely.

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Bibliography
http://www.inc.com/larry-kim/why-multi-tasking-is-killingyour-brain.html
http://www.brainfacts.org/sensing-thinkingbehaving/awareness-and-attention/articles/2013/themultitasking-mind/
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/04/09/health/your-brainmultitasking/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2014/10/08/
multitasking-damages-your-brain-and-career-new-studiessuggest/#38c19e3a2c16
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_multitasking
http://www.inc.com/larry-kim/why-multi-tasking-is-killingyour-brain.html

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