Small Number Of Adults 'Supertaskers,' Study Finds

Small Number Of Adults 'Supertaskers,' Study Finds

A recent study by scientists at the University of Utah confirms that multitasking is an activity for an elite few.

The Daily Utah Chronicle has more:

The term "supertasker" is given to individuals able to successfully accomplish two or more tasks at once -- a quality possessed by less than 2.5 percent of people.

"(Supertaskers) perform better," said David Strayer, professor of psychology and coordinator of the study. They are able to perform multiple tasks without a problem, he said.

In this round of research, scientists tested 200 people doing multiple things at once. They hope to continue their study by testing military fighter pilots.

Wired For Choice - The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan

Wired For Choice - | The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan

Capuchin monkeys like change:

The implications of this simple experiment shed some light on consumer behavior, [Dan Ariely, the James B. Duke Professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University] said. Earlier work on variety-seeking has found that people eat 43 percent more M&M candies when there are 10 colors in the bowl instead of just seven. "People choose variety for variety's sake," Ariely said. "They often choose things they don't even like as well just for the variety. We knew about this, so the interesting thing was to figure out how basic it is."