IsMultitaskingBadfortheBrain?发布时间：2012-09-20文章出自：bigthink.com原文链接：HYPERLINK"http://bigthink.com/ideas/18148"\t"_blank"点击查看Question:Whathappenstothemindwhenwegetusedtopayingpartialattention?GarySmall:Weallknowwemultitask.ImeanthisisacommonpartofeverydaylifeandyouknowIliketodrinkmycoffeeinthemorningandreadthenewspaper,sothat’saformofmultitasking.NowofcourseIdon’tdothatwhenI’mdrivingbecausethatisdangerous,soweknowofmanydangersofmultitasking.Weknowthatmiddle-agepeoplewhomultitaskdon’tdoaswellaspeoplewhoarefocusingononetaskandwealsoknowthatyoungpeoplewhomultitask,theycancompletethetaskmorerapidly,buttheymakemoreerrors,sowe’rebecomingfaster,butsloppierwhenwemultitask,butthereisanothermentalprocessrelatedtomultitaskingthat’softencalledpartialcontinuousattention.Herewe’renotjustdoingtwoorthreetasksatthesametime,we’rescanningtheenvironmentfornewinformationatanypointandthisisaprocessthatIthinkisbecomingverypopularnowthatwehaveallthesenewelectroniccommunicationgadgets,cellphones,PDAs,computers,theinternet,somanypeopleareattheirworkstationorathomeinbedbecausewedon’thavemuchdemarcationthesedaysbetweenleisurelifeandworklife,andtheymaybehavingaconversationonthephoneorwithsomeonenexttothemandthey’rewaitingforalittledingoralittlesoundoranewmessagethatmightbemoreinterestingandexcitingthanwhatevermentalactivitythey’reengagedinatthattime.Nowthere'sdangerstothatIthink.Certainlytherearesocialdangers.Youcancertainlyinsultsomeoneifyouansweryourcellphoneinthemiddleofaconversation,butIthinkitalsomaybeastateofheightenedmentalstressbecausewe’reconstantlyscanningtheenvironmentandweknowfromotherstudiesthatchronicstressisnotgoodforthebrain.Infact,laboratoryanimalsunderstresshavesmallermemorycellsinthehippocampus.Humanvolunteersinjectedwithstresshormoneslikecortisolhavetemporaryimpairmentinlearningandrecall,soIthinkpartialcontinuousattentionit’shardtoresist,probablyourdopaminecircuitsthatareinvolvedinrewardsystemsdriveitbecausewewantthatexcitingnewbitofinformation,butwehavetobeawareofitand