This seems to be a generally accepted peice of folk wisdom. Does anyone know where this gem sprang from?

-- Judith P (Notsharing@hotmail.com), May 08, 2004

Answers

I'm afraid I didn't know this was an accepted piece of folk wisdom. Where did you come across this claim? It seems strange, given that what is often regarded as the most intensely multitasking profession in the world -- air traffic control -- is (at least to my knowledge) dominated by men.

-- Christopher Green (christo@yorku.ca), May 09, 2004.

Hi Judith, I am not an expert in the field of gender differences, but there seems to me to have been a "paradigm shift" of sorts in this field, in the last 15 years or so. It seems most publications in the field before this time supported the view that most of the majority of gender difference in ability or personality could be explained by the differential upbringing of boys versus girls. Then in part due to increased research and respect for behavioral genetics, brain imaging research, and evolutionary psychology (and more balanced research on gender differences), the paradigm shifted to attention to both heredity and environment. For some physical and psychological traits environmental factors seem to dominate, while in others heredity may be more important. In reference to multi-tasking, there is reseach that indicates that the rear part of the corpus collosum (which connects the two cerebral hemispheres), on average, is larger in females and could potentially aid side to side brain communication (possibly lead to better use of multiple environmental input, thus aiding in at least some types of multitasking). You can find a recent article on the topic at , which will give you some names of researchers in the field. Of course, we do not want to underestimate enviromental influences, particularly since very recently it was discovered how plastic the brain remains throughout the life span. You may also be interested in a related research topic that is popular now, dealing with how natural changes (e.g., menstrual cycle or menopause)in hormone levels can sometimes significantly influence performance on cognitive tasks. Finally, I would not be surprised if by now (or possibly even before the relevant research) there were some "folk psychologies" about females being particularly good at multi-tasking. I hope this helps. Paul

-- Paul Kleinginna (pkleinginna@georgiasouthern.edu), May 09, 2004.