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It's pretty amazing stuff, really. According to one hypothesis, dopamine is a reward for unexpected stimuli: "...rewards that are expected do not produce any activation of dopamine cells, but rewards that are greater than expected produce a short-lasting increase in dopamine." And it has profound effects on cognition: "It is now known that both dopamine and norepinephrine have essential actions on prefrontal cortical function, and help coordinate cognitive state with arousal state.[28] Dopamine has an "inverted U" influence on prefrontal function through its actions on D1 receptors, where either too little or too much impairs working memory function.[29]"

""Successful" multitasking has been shown to activate the reward circuit in the brain by increasing dopamine levels-the brain chemical responsible for feelings of happiness.... This is comparable to the rush you might feel while playing the slot machines in a casino.... It's important to be aware of how multitasking can stimulate us into mindlessness, giving the illusion of productivity while stealing our focus and harming performance."

Multitasking feels good because of your brain chemicals, not because you're good at it. Excerpt: "Research has shown that when you multitask 'successfully', you activate the reward mechanism in your brain which releases dopamine, the happy hormone. This dopamine rush makes you feel so good that you believe you're being effective and further encourages your multitasking habit."