The Myth of Multitasking

Multitasking is frequently lauded as an indispensable skill in the modern workplace.

多工處理常被譽為現代職場中不可或缺的技能。

Neuroscientists, however, contend that genuine simultaneous attention is largely illusory.

然而，神經科學家主張，真正的同時專注在很大程度上只是一種錯覺。

What we perceive as multitasking is, in reality, rapid and costly switching between tasks.

我們所認為的多工處理，實際上是在不同任務之間快速而代價高昂的切換。

Each transition incurs a cognitive penalty, as the brain reorients itself to new demands.

每一次切換都會帶來認知上的損耗，因為大腦需要重新適應新的要求。

These fleeting delays accumulate, eroding both accuracy and overall efficiency.

這些稍縱即逝的延遲不斷累積，侵蝕著準確度與整體效率。

Paradoxically, habitual multitaskers tend to overestimate their proficiency more than anyone else.

矛盾的是，習慣多工處理的人往往比任何人都更容易高估自己的能力。

They also appear more susceptible to distraction, even when attempting to concentrate on one thing.

他們似乎也更容易分心，即使在試圖專注於一件事的時候也是如此。

Routine activities, such as walking while talking, are a notable exception to this rule.

像邊走邊說話這樣的例行活動，是這項規律的一個明顯例外。

For demanding intellectual work, though, undivided attention remains remarkably difficult to surpass.

然而，對於要求很高的腦力工作，全神貫注仍然是極難超越的。