By Understanding and improving divided attention increases our productivity and strengthens our ability to overcome cognitive challenges more effectively. Find out more about this topic here.
In our daily lives, we are faced with the need to multitask: answering messages while cooking, listening to a meeting while taking notes, or walking while talking on the phone. It is an ability to manage several activities at once, which is made possible by a cognitive process known as divided attention.
Although we may seem equipped to handle multiple tasks at once, the reality is that our ways of paying attention are limited and can easily become overloaded. Understanding how this particular task works and how it can be improved can help us be more efficient and effective at what we do.
What is divided attention?
This refers to the cognitive ability that allows us to process and respond to multiple stimuli simultaneously. This ability makes it easier for us, for example, to listen to a conversation while writing an email, or to drive a car while paying attention to traffic signs and talking to a passenger.
It is a mode of attention that involves the coordination of several regions of the brain, especially those related to working memory and executive control.
A study published in Psychological Science reports that people manage divided attention better by focusing on what is most relevant. By prioritizing and selecting crucial information, the challenges of dividing our attention between different tasks are offset.
However, it should be noted that performing more than one activity at a time tends to reduce the ability to remember valuable information. In fact, it is expected that performing demanding tasks at the same time will reduce efficiency , compared to sustained attention focused on a single task.
Importance of dividing attention
This is a skill that plays a fundamental role in handling the complex, multitasking demands of everyday life. This is relevant in work, academic, and social environments, where dividing attention can mean the difference between efficiency and cognitive overload. Below, we outline some of the reasons why it is important to pay attention in this way:
- Promotes cognitive flexibility : dividing attention makes it easier for us to adapt to rapid changes in the environment and to alternate between different occupations as needed.
- Improves efficiency: We do more than one thing at a time, which increases our productivity in situations where several activities must be handled simultaneously.
- Promotes problem solving: By concentrating mental resources on different aspects and at the same time, it facilitates problem solving in a more effective and creative way.
- Promotes safety and decision-making: In contexts such as driving, where multiple visual and auditory stimuli must be managed, this mode of attention plays a vital role in safety and in making quick and accurate decisions.
- Increases social interaction: In social situations, such as group conversations or negotiations, this ability allows multiple sources of information (such as facial expressions, tone of voice , and verbal content) to be processed, which improves interpersonal communication and understanding.
It is noteworthy that, according to an article published in the Journal of Neural Transmission , adults with ADHD have significant problems focusing their attention on a single thing and dividing it between several tasks (sustained and divided modes, respectively). Therefore, they often have concentration difficulties.
Types of divided attention and their examples
There are different types of attention . In the case of the type we are dividing, its classification varies according to how the dedication is distributed between tasks and what type of information is processed. We will detail this point below.
- Multi-source: This refers to processing information coming from several sources at once, usually of the same type. A good example is monitoring several screens at a time; each one displays different information, but all are visual.
- Multimodal: This involves distributing attention between different sensory modalities, such as visual and auditory. Imagine being at a conference, where you need to follow a slide presentation, while listening to the speaker. In this situation, you must simultaneously process the information you see and hear at the same time.
- Multitasking: Also known as multitasking , it is managing and executing multiple different tasks at the same time, which involve a combination of physical, cognitive and sensory activities. An example is cooking and having a phone conversation. In this case, you must control your preparation, while processing and responding to the other person.
Practical exercises to improve this skill
This ability begins to develop in childhood and improves throughout adolescence and into early adulthood. Fortunately, by adding the following exercises to your daily routine, you can strengthen your attention span when handling multiple tasks.
1. Practice dual memory games
Games help develop both working memory and divided attention, as they force the brain to maintain and update multiple streams of information simultaneously. So try playing games and doing another activity. For example:
- Memory Cards and Shopping List: During a game of memory cards, try to remember a shopping list. Alternate between flipping cards to find matching pairs, while remembering which items you need to buy.
- Sudoku and phone conversation: Play Sudoku while talking on the phone. Remember and place numbers on the board and keep a coherent conversation going, answering your interlocutor’s questions and comments.
- Video games and music: Play a strategy video game that requires planning and decision-making while listening to music with complex lyrics. Try to follow the strategy of the game and pay attention to the content of the songs.
2. Perform parallel tasks
Perform activities that involve multiple steps and elements. For example, cook a new recipe while listening to music and responding to text messages. This exercise requires you to follow recipe instructions, coordinate your movements in the kitchen, listen to the songs, and respond to text messages efficiently.
It also helps to do cleaning tasks such as sweeping, mopping or folding clothes and pay attention to the narration of an audiobook, remembering the details of the story. Or do your exercise routine and watch a TV series at the same time.
3. Practice active listening
During a conversation, concentrate completely on what the other person is saying. Avoid distractions such as looking at your phone or thinking about your response before the other person finishes speaking. However, pay attention to non-verbal language , gestures and intonation.
4. Write while you talk
Choose a topic you want to write about and find a conversation partner. Start writing about the topic you’ve chosen, talk naturally with this person about a different topic, and try not to stop either activity during the exercise.
5. Drive your car or go for a bike ride
When you’re out in your car or on your bike, you should pay attention to traffic signs, pedestrians, and other road conditions. Try to respond to all stimuli to improve your ability to pay divided attention.
Cultivate it every day
Divided attention is essential for managing multiple tasks and complex situations in our daily and professional lives, as it allows us to process information from multiple sources at once. It can also improve our efficiency and decision-making.
Whenever you have the opportunity, inside and outside the home, put the suggested exercises into practice and thus increase performance in various areas of your life.