The Effect of Multitasking on Task Accuracy Among College Students

Abstract. Multitasking is a skill that has always been part of our everyday life that allows individuals to perform two or more activities simultaneously. This study examined whether multitasking affects the quality of task performance among college students. A quantitative between-subjects experimental design was used with 30 students from the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA–Molino. Each participant completed a visual counting task using a PowerPoint presentation consisting of 10 slides with randomly arranged colored boxes that increased in difficulty. Each slide was shown for 10 seconds. The control group performed a single task, while the experimental group completed the visual task alongside an additional activity. One point was given for every correct answer, and total scores were compared using an independent samples t-test, with Cohen’s d used to measure effect size. Statistical significance was set at 0.05. Results showed that the control group obtained a mean score of 7.60 (SD = 2.95), while the experimental group obtained a mean score of 8.40 (SD = 1.72), both interpreted as high performance levels. Findings suggest that multitasking did not significantly impair task quality in simple performance-based activities, indicating that task complexity may play a greater role in determining multitasking effects on performance. Keywords: Cognitive Load; Level of Performance; Multi-tasking; Quality of Performance; Simultaneous Activities