There is a popular belief that women are better than men at multitasking. Although some studies have supported this claim, other scientists have pointed to the insufficient evidence for this generalization. New research supports the former, suggesting it may be more difficult for the male brain to switch between tasks, as it uses more resources to do so.

Share on Pinterest Men may find it more difficult to switch between tasks, suggests a new study.

We commonly use the term “multitasking” to refer to our brain’s ability to perform several tasks at once.

However, from a psychological point of view, “task-switching” may be a more accurate term. Findings in neuroscience and psychology suggest that during what is commonly referred to as “multitasking,” the brain actually performs a task, stops, and switches to the next one, all in a very short span of time.

There is a popular belief that women are better at task-switching than men, but some scientists have argued that this remains a popular generalization with no scientific evidence to support it. For example, one extensive overview of scientific literature “could not find a single scientific report to support this view.”

However, other studies suggest women do perform better at least in some multi-tasking paradigms. One such study found women outperformed men in computer-based, task-switching tests, as well as in “paper-and-pencil” multitasking tests. Men were also significantly slower in switching between tasks.

New research looks at how much energy male brains spend when performing task-switching tests, as well as what areas of the brain are activated when doing so.