Study shows no significant multitasking ability differences between men and women

On July 10, 2026, researchers from Brunel University of London and City St George's, University of London, published findings indicating that multitasking ability does not significantly differ by sex. The study, supported by the Bial Foundation, challenges the stereotype that women excel at multitasking compared to men.

Understanding Multitasking in Everyday Life

Multitasking is defined as the ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously or switch between them, prevalent in various aspects of modern life, including driving, work, and household activities. Despite common beliefs, the research reveals only minor and inconsistent differences between sexes regarding multitasking capabilities.

The authors, André and Diana Szameitat, designed an experimental framework that simulates real-life multitasking scenarios. The findings suggest that while men and women perform similarly across various tasks, men tend to ignore conversational tasks more frequently.

Key Findings from the Multitasking Study

The study involved 41 men and 37 women engaging in a series of five different tasks, including a recipe-following task, phone number search, number-letter matching, word-monitoring, and a conversational task. Notably, men ignored the conversational task more than twice as often as women, but when they did respond, their answers were comparable in quality and speed to those of women.

• 41 men and 37 women participated in multitasking tests.
• Tasks included recipe-following and conversational tasks.
• Men ignored the conversational task over twice as often as women.

Interestingly, observers rated male multitaskers as less in control and less engaged than their female counterparts. This perception may contribute to the stereotype that women are better multitaskers.

Implications of the Research Findings

The research highlights that there are no substantial cognitive differences between men and women in multitasking abilities. However, the specific difference in conversational engagement suggests a potential reason for the enduring stereotype. Szameitat noted, "Taken together, our data confirm that there are no substantial sex differences in cognitive visual-manual tasks, but significant sex differences do exist in the ability to hold a conversation while multitasking."

This insight into multitasking behavior provides a clearer understanding of the social dynamics at play and challenges long-held beliefs regarding gender roles in cognitive tasks.