Assignment #3: Multi-tasking Affects the Way the Brain Learns

The hippocampus aids in processing, storing and retrieving information while the striatum hinders the ability to effectively learn new skills

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 A study conducted by UCLA psychologists found that multi-tasking not only affects the retrieval of information, but it more importantly, affects how people learn.  Psychologists tracked brain activity during two tests.  The test without multi-tasking produced much more "flexible" answers from the participants than after the second test which was with multi-tasking.  This difference in flexibility means that learning with multi-tasking makes applying learned-knowledge much more difficult.  The difference between the systems of learning was reveal by the brain-imaging scans.  Without distraction, students actively used the hippocampus which helps to process, store and recall information.  With distraction, students used the striatum which inhibits the ability to learn new skills.  This study shows how checking mail during class or texting while doing homework can drastically prevent long-term learning.

Information about the study can be found here.