About Mental BandwidthWhat is “mental bandwidth” and why does it matter? Well, you can think of bandwidth kind of like “mental energy” or brain resources. I’ve been studying how it relates to human behavior for the last 10 years, and have discovered that truly understanding it can provide a life-changing perspective on why people do what they do—AND what we can do about it.
Whether you are a parent wanting to help your child thrive, or an employer trying to increase innovation and productivity, or just yourself wanting to create a life of more meaning and satisfaction, using a bandwidth lens can transform what you do and how you do it. |
What is Bandwidth?
The human brain can process, on average, about 11 million bits per second (bps) of information. Our “mental bandwidth” is the part of our brain processing that we have CONSCIOUS control over, about 100 bps. Our brains do tons of things automatically--we don’t usually “think” about moving our arms and legs when we walk, or chewing our food, as examples. Our brains just make those things happen as part of that 11 million bps total. We only have active control over 100 bps, and that’s what I’m referring to as “mental bandwidth.”
Bandwidth is not "will power"--you can't just think "harder" to get more. Bandwidth is not intelligence or knowledge--you can't "educate" yourself into more. Bandwidth is not time--we can't control it so easily. Bandwidth is more like the physiological limit of how much "thinking" we can do in one moment. Check out the "Bandwidth? You Mean Internet?" blog post |
Bandwidth Demands
Why does bandwidth matter? Well, we need bandwidth ALL the time, every day. We need it to make choices, to take actions, to stop ourselves from taking actions, to remember things… And we also need it to learn, to innovate, to be creative, and to engage meaningfully in our lives and with other people.
Bandwidth demands--how much bandwidth is needed to do different things--are different based on complexity, novelty, and other aspects of whatever we are trying to do. |
Bandwidth Availability
Here’s the tricky thing. Mental bandwidth is the part that we have “conscious control” over, but actually, a lot of things drain or steal our bandwidth that are largely out of our control. Even though everyone has pretty much the same total bandwidth, how much is free and available at any one moment varies greatly.
Our physical and mental health conditions, our experiences of discrimination or exclusion, and our worries and self-doubts are all things that can drain our bandwidth. Find out more! |
Bandwidth Exhaustion
When bandwidth demands are high, but bandwidth availability is low, what happens then? Usually it means we "fail" at whatever bandwidth-demanding thing we are trying to do.
But how about when we feel like we never have enough bandwidth? I call this "bandwidth exhaustion." The constant lack of bandwidth, plus never-ending bandwidth demands, can trigger the "threat" response in our brains, leading to patterns of avoidance, control, perfectionism, anger, or judgement--none of which actually lead to less bandwidth exhaustion. |
Bandwidth Equity
Many people are desperately low on bandwidth on a day-to-day basis due to circumstances largely out of their control—like those who struggle with financial insecurity, mental health issues, trauma, overwhelming care-giving responsibilities, or lifetimes of experiences of discrimination.
For these people, bandwidth exhaustion is a daily experience that makes everyday tasks more challenging, more exhausting, and more likely to be left undone. Using the bandwidth lens, demands can be streamlined to increase the equity in opportunities for success. |
Bandwidth Freedom
The goal is bandwidth freedom. How do we free as much bandwidth as possible so that we can invest it in the things that are most important to us? Individually, we can take care of our health, remove ourselves from bandwidth-draining situations, and find ways to refresh our bandwidth.
But more importantly, as decision-makers for others--legislators, managers, parents, teachers--we can create environments that streamline the bandwidth demands for the most desired behaviors, freeing more bandwidth for innovation, creativity, and satisfying living. Great resources for promoting Bandwidth Freedom! |
Sources
Chaiken, S., & Trope, Y. (1999). Dual-process theories in social psychology. New York: Guilford Press.
Doyle, T., & Zakrajsek, T. (2018). The new science of learning: How to learn in harmony with your brain. Stylus Publishing, LLC.
Kahneman, D. (1973). Attention and effort. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.
Mullainathan, S., & Shafir, E. (2013). Scarcity: Why having too little means so much. Macmillan.
Sarason et al. (Eds.) Cognitive Interference: Theories, Methods, and Findings. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Schneider, W., & Shiffrin, R.M. (1977). Controlled and automatic human information processing: I. Detection, search and attention. Psychological Review, 84, 1-66.
Chaiken, S., & Trope, Y. (1999). Dual-process theories in social psychology. New York: Guilford Press.
Doyle, T., & Zakrajsek, T. (2018). The new science of learning: How to learn in harmony with your brain. Stylus Publishing, LLC.
Kahneman, D. (1973). Attention and effort. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.
Mullainathan, S., & Shafir, E. (2013). Scarcity: Why having too little means so much. Macmillan.
Sarason et al. (Eds.) Cognitive Interference: Theories, Methods, and Findings. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Schneider, W., & Shiffrin, R.M. (1977). Controlled and automatic human information processing: I. Detection, search and attention. Psychological Review, 84, 1-66.
©2020 Tina D Bhargava, DrPH