Scientific Definition
Context-switching feels productive but cuts effective output and quality.
Plain-English Definition
Context-switching feels productive but cuts effective output and quality.
Feynman Explanation
Five things at once is just one thing badly, five times.
Core Principle
Context-switching feels productive but cuts effective output and quality.
Mechanisms
Pending editorial review.
Context-switching feels productive but cuts effective output and quality.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Cognitive throughput is non-parallel.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Inputs (Triggers)
Pending editorial review.
Outputs (Behaviors)
Pending editorial review.
Behavioral Signature
Five things at once is just one thing badly, five times.
Examples
- Documented productivity loss in task-switching studies.
- Cognitive throughput is non-parallel.
Pending editorial review.
Famous Experiments
Pending editorial review.
Design Principles
- Single-tasking blocks. Notification discipline.
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.
- Single-tasking blocks. Notification discipline.
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.
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