Gender and Multitasking In the Context of Polychronicity

Abstract

The study in hand probing the role of polychronicity and gender in multitasking performance under normal and emergency conditions of multitasking. Multitasking is the cognitive ability to perform multiple task goals in the same time period by engaging in frequent switches between individual tasks (Colom et al., 2010) but polychronicity signifies situations or preferences where people deal with several things at the same time (Kakihara & Sorensen, 2002). For the above purpose, the sample of 180 males’ adults (Mean age= 21 yrs) and 180 females’ adults (Mean age= 21.5 yrs) were taken up from the tricity of Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula. ‘Index of Polychronic Values Scale’ by Bluedorn et al. (1999) and a self developed simulated task for multitasking were used for the study. A repeated measures 2x2 anova and t-ratios were used out to arrive at the results. Genderwise comparative analysis showed that the high polychronic females outperform high polychronic males under both conditions of multitasking whereas in low polychronicity, males performed better than females across both conditions.