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[RustyNails]

Men, Not Women, Better Multitaskers?

Working mothers may have to juggle more tasks than their husbands, but the long-held belief that women are better than men at multitasking is a myth, according to new Swedish research.

"On the contrary, the results of our study show that men are better at multitasking than women," Timo Maentylae, a psychology professor at Stockholm University, said.

Men are sometimes better than women at handling multiple tasks simultaneously, but the performance gap is correlated to the female menstrual cycle, according to his study, to be published in U.S. peer-reviewed journal Psychological Science.

In line with previous research, men and women with good so-called working memory were also better than others at multitasking. However, Maentylae found that the ability to combine several different tasks at once was also linked to spatial ability which, for women, is linked to their menstrual phase.

"Previous studies have shown that women's spatial skills vary across the menstrual cycle with high capacity around menstruation and much lower around ovulation, when oestrogen levels are high," he said. "The results showed a clear difference in multitasking between men and women in the ovulation phase, while this effect was eliminated for women in the menstrual phase."

The participants, 160 men and women between 20 and 43 years of age, were instructed to keep track of three digital "clocks," or counters, that displayed different times at different speeds.

While registering certain times displayed by the clocks, defined by a simple set of rules, they also had to watch a scrolling ticker featuring common Swedish names, pressing the mouse button when one of the names was repeated.

Differences in spatial ability and working memory were based on separate tests.
AFP

Source. Well, I didn't even knew the myth that women are better multi-taskers than men existed.

 

[Majine]

Well, I'm still terrible at multitasking.

 

[shira]

Shouldn't they have used postmenopausal and premenopausal women/girls to test this

 

[RustyNails]

Well, I'm still terrible at multitasking.

Same here. I'm even worse at single-tasking when someone is watching me.

 

[ChuyMasta]

Quick! Someone correlate these study findings to the women's menstrual cycle at the time of a car accident.

 

[Camp Lo]

I can't do more than 3 things at a time but one of them must involve sitting.

 

[Baconsaurus Rex]

I'm reading this and scratching my balls at the same time. Multitasking feels good

 

[injurai]

Quick! Someone correlate these study findings to the menstrual cycle of woman at the time of a car accident.

Study finds that if men had periods they would no longer experience violent outbursts.

 

[Amakusa]

Noo.. No no no no

 

[Tristam]

Er, isn't it saying that women's spatial ability is actually heightened when they're on their period? (And diminished when they're most fertile.) That sort of contradicts the thread title.

 

[SolidusDave]

Eh... but I use that as an excuse to avoid certain tasks or to lay back

Just like women ask me to carry something even though they physically could do it themselves.




so in the end both perform more or less the same at multi-tasking, just girls get worse once per month due to their hormones? Add it to pile along with emotional stability etc.

 

[Videoneon]

Brought to you by Bro Science: Science for Bros!

Next week:

Pizza is a dish that can cover up to four food groups! Healthy, right? Why aren't you going to Domino's?

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

 

[Ash Sparrow]

This was one I was comfortable with the women having, as I just dont think i'm good at multitasking.

 

[Htown]

Er, isn't it saying that women's spatial ability is actually heightened when they're on their period? (And diminished when they're most fertile.) That sort of contradicts the thread title.

They could change the title to say "menstrual cycle" instead of "period" I guess.

 

[SolidusDave]

Brought to you by Bro Science: Science for Bros!

Next week:

Pizza is a dish that can cover up to four food groups! Healthy, right? Why aren't you going to Domino's?

Actually... once here in Germany they tested all kinds of fast food for vitamins etc. and frozen pizza turned out to be quite good, having a Quattro Stagioni pizza beating a mixed salad in almost everything.

 

[CrazyDude]

Well, I'm still terrible at multitasking.

Now think how bad women are at it.

 

[OldAsUrSock]

Source. Well, I didn't even knew the myth that women are better multi-taskers than men existed.

I thought everyone knew that myth.

 

[KingJ2002]

Well depending on their cycle... they can go all super saiyan in their multi-tasking skills.

 

[SouthernDragon]

I'm awful at multi-tasking.

I reject this science and replace it with my own subjective experiences!

 

[Jack_AG]

Fuck everyone has a leg up on me... I have trouble single-tasking.

 

[VALIS]

I suuuuck at multitasking and my wife can only seem to operate in multitask mode. *shrug*

 

[scar tissue]

Actually... once here in Germany they tested all kinds of fast food for vitamins etc. and frozen pizza turned out to be quite good, having a Quattro Stagioni pizza beating a mixed salad in almost everything.

This thread is now about the health benefits of frozen pizza. Tell me more.

 

[Quick]

Let's nuke England!

You're all fired!

 

[Ultima_5]

i'm good at multitasking