Efficiency and Flexibility of Individual Multitasking Strategies - Influence ofBetween-Task Resource Competition

Evidence exists that individuals prefer distinguishable strategies for self-organized task scheduling in multitasking. Theyeither prefer to work for long sequences on one task before switching to another (i.e., blocking), to switch repeatedly aftershort sequences (i.e., switching), or to process the current stimuli of two tasks before responding almost simultaneously(i.e., response grouping). We tested whether the strategies efficiency differs depending on the resource competition be-tween tasks in a free concurrent dual-tasking paradigm and whether individuals adapt their strategies accordingly. Ourresults show that switcher and response grouper are more efficient than blocker during low than high resource competitionbetween tasks. Comparably, more switchers shifted to a response grouping strategy than blockers towards a switchingstrategy. Overall, especially those individuals benefited from a lower resource competition, who already preferred a moreflexible approach in dealing with the multitasking demand during high resource competition

Estimating the reproducibility of psychological science

Reproducibility is a defining feature of science, but the extent to which it characterizes current research is unknown. We conducted replications of 100 experimental and correlational studies published in three psychology journals using high-powered designs and original materials when available. Replication effects were half the magnitude of original effects, representing a substantial decline. Ninety-seven percent of original studies had statistically significant results. Thirty-six percent of replications had statistically significant results; 47% of original effect sizes were in the 95% confidence interval of the replication effect size; 39% of effects were subjectively rated to have replicated the original result; and if no bias in original results is assumed, combining original and replication results left 68% with statistically significant effects. Correlational tests suggest that replication success was better predicted by the strength of original evidence than by characteristics of the original and replication teams