Boxing = Multitasking = Brain Atrophy?

[Xzin]

http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/01/27/2221228

"Multitasking messes with the brain in several ways. At the most basic level, the mental balancing acts that it requires — the constant switching and pivoting — energize regions of the brain that specialize in visual processing and physical coordination and simultaneously appear to shortchange some of the higher areas related to memory and learning. We concentrate on the act of concentration at the expense of whatever it is that we're supposed to be concentrating on... studies find that multitasking boosts the level of stress-related hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline and wears down our systems through biochemical friction, prematurely aging us. In the short term, the confusion, fatigue, and chaos merely hamper our ability to focus and analyze, but in the long term, they may cause it to atrophy."

An interesting conversation.

[Ughmahedhurtz]

If multitasking caused brain atrophy, airplane pilots would be the dumbest SoBs on the planet. A simplistic view to be sure but no more so than some of the tripe in that article. :whistling:

[kayb]

I suspect they may be onto something here. It's not so bad for us. After the learning phase is over, you pretty much do it without thinking. So it feels for me anyway. But I imagine if I totally randomized my gazillion hotkeys every week, I'd be an old man already. It's kinda like playing an instrument, after a while all the phrases are so well rehersed, that you don't think, you just play.

[StrikeQ]

multitasking boosts the level of stress-related hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline

Well if I multi task well, but my adrenal glands aren't functioning correctly(according to the doctor) what then? lol

[Djarid]

I don't really consider multi-boxing to be proper multi-tasking, yes it is more complex than a simple solo game of WOW but all the characters are managed through a common interface with a common task, admittedly sub-tasks are different but contribute to the common aim.

My work however can be very stressful purely due to the necessity to quickly swap between disparate tasks are short notice.

[aetherg]

I find that I play the group more like a single uber-character than five separate characters. Everything I do is still sequential; I just perform actions much faster, since I'm working with two global cooldowns rather than one.

[Notes]

I'm more affraid of chocking my self in beer because I start lauging again from the multi boxing fun in Ogr hehe... :thumbsup:

It indeed is just learning for me, mostly remembering the buttons, but most of that is a second nature for me now

Glad I've read this article, gonna sit back and relax at work today .. Might get a wee bit older!

[-silencer-]

So.. flying a helicopter is bad?
Good point.. both hands doing separate functions, and use of both feet as well. After learning how to fly a few Army helicopters and knowing how difficult it can be, there's no way in hell I'd take a ride with anyone else as a pilot who doesn't have years of airtime under his belt. :)

I think this article is referring to a more broad form of multitasking.. multi-boxing WoW would probably be classified as still only one activity, although more difficult than just playing one character. I think it's referring to more of a working-world situation, where the multitasking activites are totally unrelated and require completely different chains of thought to carry out. For example, a software engineer who has to break his mindset to deal with customer service, while also peer reviewing completely unrelated code, managing expense reports, and reviewing current employee performances.

[Hypermoo]

In general, I agree the dual-boxing is not really multi-tasking. My brain automatically does the extra steps required. More than once, while playing a single character, I will press my /follow button (which is bound to other actions on my solo characters, and causes me to dismount).

There was this one time I 3-boxed for a really long time, took a nap irl, and woke up wondering if all the other copies of myself were awake. Is that bad?

[Stealthy]

I blame WoW for my brain atrpohy! ;)

[thinus]

There was this one time I 3-boxed for a really long time, took a nap irl, and woke up wondering if all the other copies of myself were awake. Is that bad?

Depends...

...were they awake?

[Xyxy]

http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/01/27/2221228

"Multitasking messes with the brain in several ways. At the most basic level, the mental balancing acts that it requires — the constant switching and pivoting — energize regions of the brain that specialize in visual processing and physical coordination and simultaneously appear to shortchange some of the higher areas related to memory and learning. We concentrate on the act of concentration at the expense of whatever it is that we're supposed to be concentrating on... studies find that multitasking boosts the level of stress-related hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline and wears down our systems through biochemical friction, prematurely aging us. In the short term, the confusion, fatigue, and chaos merely hamper our ability to focus and analyze, but in the long term, they may cause it to atrophy."

An interesting conversation.





Im kinda of scared :/ And to say dual/multi boxing isnt multi tasking is pretty much lying! Check out the name 'multi' boxing, focusing on more then 1 task at hand eg. priest is healing, while warrior is killing, 2 tasks, 'multi tasking'

And this article explains why i cant speel anymore

[-silencer-]

Xyxy.. try to keep your posts *outside* of the person you're quoting! :)

As for multi-boxing being exhausting multi-tasking? Please. It's still playing the same game. That's like saying a dps rogue in a 5-man is multi-tasking because he's got to focus on efficient dps, combo points, his energy bar, his threat meter and possibly dropping aggro, maybe some bandaging.. Or what about the 5-man healer who's got to focus on the tanks and everyone else's health while managing his own mana bar? *Every* good single-box player multi-tasks in this game already. Just because you're multi-boxing doesn't mean it's somehow more confusing to your brain after you get used to it.. it's still all within the same framework of structure of the game. What's more difficult for a brain to process - 5xShaman farming easy instances and all spec'd for chain lightning.. or a single warrior working on main tanking a raid?

Multi-boxing != multi-tasking any much more than single boxing != multi-tasking.

[Xyxy]

Haha yeah sorry about that still forum noob getting used to the system lols

But I kinda of disagree with you there, not so much about the single boxer multi tasking already, but at the dual boxer not multi tasking any more so then the aforementioned. I only just bought keyclone so Ive been kicking it old school with my priest/warrior combo by manually switching windows to do things, and that is ALOT more involving then playing your standard warrior or priest.. All those that think multi boxing is not multi tasking are in flat out denial lol! Things like concentrating on how long your renew has left, what the cooldown remaining on your prayer of mending is, how long left til you have to cast another chained greater heal etc etc. All while worrying about the cooldowns of your whirlwind, blood thirst, sweeping strikes.. usually ppl only have to worry about one set of cooldowns or the other, where as we have to worry about the 2.

The cold hard truth is multi boxing is an MASSIVE brain stress, it may be easy to us, but when you guys rolled your lvl 1 mains for the very first time things were easy mode, you got to 70 had 4000 new spells to use, then came daul/multiboxing. I can guarentee you that it wasnt picked up as easily as when you were lvl 1 for the first time. There is just so much to concentrate on at once! Multi tasking in its prime!

[Eteocles]

After I log off after multiboxing I keep trying to alt-tab to check my multiboxing irc, or my other window of tf2(Which there isn't a 2nd of either one) and literally feel like something's being ignored/missing if I Don't lol

But compared to Tanking well this really is not that tough. A tank has to pay attention to his own hp, each mob in combat atm, his position relative to his party/raid, the mobs' directions in some cases, and his party's hp/aggro as well(or the healer's mana so he knows to trinket/run like hell) vs. what is currently, thanks to everyone's work paving the way and programs such as keyclone, a fairly easy thing to do; once set up, you're basically running one uber char if you run a group of same classes.

For thoserunning mixed groups though I'd say it would apply as multi-tasking too...trying to tank, heal, and dps at the same time vs mobs/bosses that CC and actually require you to work to keep under control is hell :p

[-silencer-]

You're missing my point.. I'm not saying playing this game doesn't involve levels of multitasking. I just believe the article was intended for real-world job applications where the extreme differences of brain thought for different tasks one may encounter while multi-tasking is FAR more varied and requires much more mental re-focusing than managing 5 characters in the same game. It's the difficulty of trying to focus on one subject that the article is talking about.. and I just don't think that applies at all as much in WoW compared to the many difficult careers in the real world.

Flipping burgers, pulling fries, and taking orders = multi-tasking like WoW 5-boxing.
Writing code, dealing with employee interactions, handling customer negotiations, and balancing company finances = multi-tasking like the article was intended.

Hell, for the sake of comparison.. walking and chewing gum at the same time is multi-tasking, so why not include that in the article's argument for brain atrophy?