Gender Invariance in Multitasking

Strayer, David L. · 2013 · Psychological Science

DOI: 10.1177/0956797612465199

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Summary

This commentary by Strayer, Medeiros-Ward, and Watson challenges the conclusions of Mäntylä (2013), who argued that gender differences in multitasking are driven by spatial ability. The authors contend that there is no robust evidence for gender differences in multitasking performance and that individual variations are better explained by executive attention. They assert that Mäntylä’s findings do not provide unambiguous support for gender disparities, particularly when controlling for spatial confounds. To support their argument, the authors reference their prior research (Watson & Strayer, 2010) involving a real-world multitasking paradigm: driving while talking on a cell phone. This study included 91 males and 109 females. The authors analyzed difference scores between dual-task and single-task performance for braking response time, following distance, and operation span tasks (math and memory). Statistical analysis revealed no significant gender differences in any measure (all p > .5). Furthermore, Bayes factor tests provided strong evidence for the null hypothesis, indicating gender invariance in multitasking ability. The authors argue that because driving involves spatial processing, the absence of gender differences in this context undermines the claim that spatial ability generally mediates multitasking performance. The commentary also critiques Mäntylä’s methodology, noting that even within Mäntylä’s own data, gender differences in multitasking were fully mediated by spatial ability. The authors suggest that when using covariance-based approaches to control for spatial confounds, the evidence for gender differences disappears. Additionally, they cite Hambrick et al. (2010), who found that apparent male advantages in multitasking were mediated by prior experience with video games, not inherent gender traits. Normative data from Redick et al. (2012) on over 6,000 participants further showed negligible gender effects on complex span tasks, which measure executive attention. The authors conclude that executive attention—the ability to maintain task goals and avoid cognitive distraction—is a more accurate predictor of multitasking ability than gender or spatial ability. They emphasize that multitasking is a common activity with significant societal implications, such as increased cognitive distraction in driving. Therefore, research should focus on executive attention mechanisms rather than gender-based distinctions. The authors urge caution in interpreting Mäntylä’s findings, stating that the weight of empirical evidence overwhelmingly supports gender invariance in multitasking.

Key finding

There are no significant gender differences in multitasking ability, as evidenced by equivalent performance in driving simulations and the lack of gender effects on executive attention measures.

Methodology

review

Sample size: 200

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• sex gender
• dual task multitasking
• cognitive capacity variation