What is it, really?
When you switch between tasks, the mind pays a small, measurable "switch cost": the first responses after a switch are slower and less accurate. This phenomenon — task switching — is one of the central measures of cognitive flexibility (Monsell, 2003).
Flexibility is considered one of the mind’s three core "executive functions", alongside working memory and inhibition — per Diamond’s comprehensive review (2013), which is freely available to read.
How researchers measure it
In the lab, flexibility is measured with switching tasks: the same stimuli, but the rule changes — sort by colour one moment, by shape the next — and what matters is exactly what happens at the switch. Our "Mind Shift" game is built around that kind of rule switching, and "Track Switcher" around juggling several changing demands at once.
What it looks like day to day
In daily life: moving between cooking and a phone call without losing the thread, rerouting when there’s traffic, or noticing that the grandchildren changed the rules of the game mid-way.
About the research
The central review of the "switch cost" — what happens in the mind at the moment of a task switch.
Monsell, S. (2003). Task switching. Trends in Cognitive Sciences.
The comprehensive review of executive functions — flexibility, working memory and inhibition.
Diamond, A. (2013). Executive Functions. Annual Review of Psychology.
This page explains how researchers define and measure this ability. It is not medical advice and not a promise of training outcomes.
Games built around Cognitive Flexibility
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