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Doing many things at a time: lack of power decreases the ability to multitask

Doing many things at a time: lack of power decreases the ability to multitask

Cai, Ran Alice ORCID: 0000-0001-9278-8066 and Guinote, Ana ORCID: 0000-0002-4226-7833 (2017) Doing many things at a time: lack of power decreases the ability to multitask. British Journal of Social Psychology, 56 (3). pp. 475-492. ISSN 0144-6665 (Print), 2044-8309 (Online) (doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12190)

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Abstract

Three studies investigated the effects of power on the ability to pursue multiple, concomitant goals, also known as multitasking. It was predicted that powerless participants will show lower multitasking ability than control and powerful participants. Study 1 focused on self‐reported ability to multitask in a sample of executives and subordinate employees. Studies 2 and 3 investigated the ability to dual‐task and to switch between tasks, respectively, using dual‐task and task‐switching paradigms. Across the studies, powerless individuals were less able to effectively multitask compared with control and powerful participants, suggesting that the detrimental effects of lack of power extend beyond single‐task environments, shown in past research, into multitasking environments. Underlying mechanisms are discussed.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: power, multitasking, dual-tasking, task-switching, goal-pursuit
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group: Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences
Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > School of Human Sciences (HUM)
Last Modified: 19 May 2020 09:56
URI: http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/26484

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