Scientific Definition
Task switches leave cognitive residue that degrades performance.
Plain-English Definition
Task switches leave cognitive residue that degrades performance.
Feynman Explanation
Every meeting taxes the work that comes after it.
Core Principle
Task switches leave cognitive residue that degrades performance.
Mechanisms
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Task switches leave cognitive residue that degrades performance.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Inputs (Triggers)
Pending editorial review.
Outputs (Behaviors)
Pending editorial review.
Behavioral Signature
Every meeting taxes the work that comes after it.
Examples
- Studies showing 23-minute recovery times after interruption.
- Calendar fragmentation has hidden productivity costs.
Pending editorial review.
Famous Experiments
Pending editorial review.
Design Principles
- Time-block. Batch meetings. Protect focus blocks structurally.
Measurement Approaches
Pending editorial review.
Evidence
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
The Perverse Incentive Lens™
How this behavior is exploited — and how to redesign around it.
- Time-block. Batch meetings. Protect focus blocks structurally.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Interactive Mini Network
Click any neighbor to re-center the graph and follow the threads of connection.
Knowledge Graph Neighbors
Auto-linked to the rest of the Human Behavior Taxonomy by family, domain, dimension, and shared keywords.
Attention is the most contested resource in modern work.
Multitasking measurably degrades performance.
Two modes the brain alternates between.
Short focused intervals + breaks outperform marathon sessions.
Brain system that decides what's important right now.
Naming an emotion reduces its intensity.
Cumulative physiological wear from chronic stress.
Emotional override of rational processing.
Brain region tracking conflict, error, and effort.
We treat AI as more humanlike than it is.
Self-direction is one of the deepest motivational levers.
Willpower fails; structure works.