Cognitive flexibility

Cognitive flexibility is the ability of a person to transition quickly and efficiently between different concepts or types of thinking. This often takes place during changing circumstances, or when encountering challenging questions or problems. Experts have identified many types of functions that can be classified as cognitive flexibility. These functions may occur unconsciously, such as when a person observes a new object and can perceive its physical attributes, meaning, and value, more or less at the same time.

One of the best-known demonstrations of cognitive flexibility is in the “multitasking” required in the modern world, where people may be called upon to take multiple roles and perform many varied tasks in a day. Cognitive flexibility also has longer-term implications, and can help people develop and learn through life while adapting to ever-changing circumstances. People who lack cognitive flexibility, sometimes called rigid thinkers, may struggle with complex problems or be held down by outdated notions or unimportant details.

Background

Thinking is fundamental to human existence. Most people think so frequently each day that thinking itself goes unnoticed and may be taken for granted. However, the actual nature of thought, and the processes involved in thinking, are complex and sometimes poorly understood, even by scientists.

Thinking is a crucial and expansive ability, operating in an almost infinite number of ways for as many purposes as possible. Experts have long strived to classify and categorize different kinds of thinking. One of the most basic forms of thought is known as concrete thinking. This is the ability to gather and use information about facts and objects as they exist in real life. Concrete thinking would be employed, for instance, to identify the contents of a room or to count the items on a list.

Many tasks require only this most rudimentary type of thinking, but other tasks require the brain to apply higher levels of thought. One higher level is analytical thinking, which means looking not only at the surface of an object or idea, but also examining its parts and how they work together to form the whole. A person using analytical thinking might identify the objects in a room and then reach a conclusion about how they function or why they were set up in a particular manner.

Another type of thinking that expands upon concrete thinking is critical thinking, a type of thought that incorporates judgment. Critical thinkers do not just look at ideas and objects and how they work, but also evaluate the value and accuracy of these ideas and objects. A person may easily identify the objects in a room and understand their parts, uses, and relationships. The person may then use critical thinking for higher-level functions, such as deciding if the objects are necessary or of sufficient quality, or if the room should be reorganized, cleaned, or better furnished to enhance the life of its owner.

These forms of thought relate mainly to observations and functions in the real world, with physical objects and ideas rooted in reality. Another form of thinking, abstract thinking, allows the human mind to move beyond its real-world environment and ponder ideas on a more conceptual level. Abstract thinkers excel at using what they learn with their senses to create and connect new ideas, such as to make new inventions or form new theories.

Some categories of thought relate to the manner and progression of the thinking process. Some thoughts are linear, or sequential, meaning that they follow easily perceived steps from a starting point to a destination. Alternately, some thinking is nonlinear, or holistic, which involves a multidirectional “big picture” approach to perception and contemplation. A linear thinker might learn best from a list of instructions, for example, while a nonlinear thinker might excel by looking at a finished product and deciding how to replicate it.

Thinking may also be categorized in terms of its roles in the decision-making and idea-generating processes. For instance, some people are skilled at convergent thinking, which involves reviewing many ideas and narrowing them into a single thread of understanding. The opposite approach would be divergent thinking, which involves starting with one idea and then expanding outward in search of new related ideas which may prove to be better.

Overview

Thinking is an extraordinarily complex and varied process. Daily life, particularly in the modern world, can place heavy demands on a person’s abilities of thought. People may juggle tasks, both personal and professional, that require completely different types of thinking. These tasks may need to be done at the same time or in quick succession.

The concept of “multitasking” challenges people to perform more than one activity at the same time, along with the appropriate thinking to accomplish the activity successfully. For example, a person might be performing a difficult task at work that involves planning a project, setting a budget, and evaluating several options. That person may need to coordinate with different departments, negotiate interpersonal disagreements, and find ways to satisfy a demanding client. In the midst of this, the person may be summoned to help with another, completely different project. Juggling this great variety of activities and thoughts requires cognitive flexibility.

Cognitive flexibility refers to a person’s ability to switch between forms of thinking (cognition) as circumstances require. (This ability is also sometimes known as cognitive shifting, set shifting, task switching, or other terms.) The need for this ability may arise, for example, when one gets new work or school assignments, relocates to a new setting, or faces a wide variety of different demands on the same day.

Cognitive flexibility, like thinking itself, may take a wide range of forms and functions. In addition, some experts view it from different perspectives. However, the most common and widely accepted form of cognitive flexibility is the ability to transition quickly and efficiently between concepts. For example, a person might be trying to prepare dinner, and be focused on that task. Suddenly, a neighbor calls and begins talking about an important local event. The ability to shift from thinking about cooking to thinking about the neighbor and event requires cognitive flexibility.

Many people also consider cognitive flexibility to include in-depth thinking on one topic. For example, a person may enter an art gallery and find a painting of a horse. On the surface, it is simply a canvas covered in paint, but cognitive flexibility will reveal an array of more in-depth observations. A person may consider physical attributes such as the size, shape, and colors of the painting. The person may also consider less obvious characteristics, such as the technique of the artist or the pose of the subject. The person may also simultaneously be considering outside factors such as the cost of the painting, whether it would look good in the person’s home, or even how the person feels about horses.

Similar in-depth observation skills can help cognitively flexible people deconstruct complex ideas. They may encounter a problem that, on the surface, seems insurmountable. However, careful thinking can break down the problem, assess its causes and consequences, and consider possible solutions to the problem.

In a larger sense, being cognitively flexible usually also means being more able to adapt to changing circumstances. This plays out in daily life in countless ways, such as when a person goes to an unfamiliar place or meets new people. The person may be challenged to observe the new elements, compare and contrast them to previously held ideas, and find ways to better adapt to the situation.

Viewed over many years, this ability can help people through their entire lifespans as they adapt to changing times. Especially in the modern era, science, technology, society, and many other aspects of life may change at a brisk pace. A computer from today might be almost incomprehensibly different from a computer made twenty, ten, or even five years ago. People who are cognitively flexible are more likely to try to stay abreast of changes and keep up with them. This also applies to new popular ways of thinking and acting. People from an older generation may not understand or approve of how younger people look, behave, or think. However, cognitive flexibility may allow these older people to better understand and appreciate—and possibly even seek to adopt—these more modern ways of life.

Cognitive flexibility may be hampered in numerous ways. In many cases, the demands placed on a person’s thinking may simply become overwhelming. This situation, sometimes called “information bottleneck,” causes the person’s ability to organize ideas, plan tasks, and think clearly and creatively to fail. A different challenge occurs when people have too little stimulation, and tend to only see the same things and encounter the same ideas. That restricts the mind from reaching new levels of thought.

Certain mindsets, such as those that rigidly retain past ideas or behaviors, can also keep people from exploring new ideas. One such phenomenon is confirmation bias, which means that people attempt to reshape new information to fit with what they already know or believe. Yet other hindrances to cognitive flexibility relate to disordered functions of the brain. For example, people who are forgetful may not have a bank of memories to help them build helpful connections to new ideas. People with autism and other disorders may become so concerned with small details that they cannot fully perceive larger or newer ideas.

A person who is cognitively flexible will likely be a good multitasker, and will be efficient at a wide variety of tasks. This can help to manage personal, professional, and academic demands, and may bring a higher level of success. Cognitively flexible people may get along better with others, achieve more in different roles, and excel in leadership positions. At the same time, people with cognitive flexibility are more likely to adapt to changing circumstances, learn new skills, and accept new ways of life. This can lead to greater personal fulfillment and the benefits of “staying up to date” with modern developments.

Conversely, cognitively inflexible people (rigid thinkers) may be unable to handle multiple co-occurring tasks or struggle to transition their thinking quickly to adapt to changing situations. They may become overly focused or stuck on one way of thinking or mode of behavior. While these people may prefer their own ways or value traditional ideas, they will necessarily be left behind by the constant changes in the world. For example, a cognitively inflexible person may refuse or be unable to embrace new technologies and, thus, unable to benefit from them.

The study of cognitive flexibility is complex, multifaceted, and ongoing. Scientists have attempted to determine which parts of the brain are most responsible for this ability. Although flexible cognition seems to require cooperation by many parts of the brain, the basal ganglia, prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and posterior parietal cortex are among the most frequently employed. Different types of thinking tasks—such as tasks that involve speech, vision, or movement—would generally activate parts of the brain most connected to those specific abilities.

Cognitive flexibility may, on average, be strongest in people around age twenty-five. That corresponds with the approximate time when the brain has fully developed and reached its peak level of functioning. Younger people may struggle with cognitive flexibility, and this skill may erode over time in older people, especially if it is not regularly practiced.

Depending on the individual, cognitive flexibility can be measured using instruments from self-report, neuroscientific, or neuropsychological approaches, including the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), the Cognitive Flexibility Scale (CFS), and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ/AAQ-II), as well as its second version (AAQ-II). In research, it is common to use only one type of measure to evaluate cognitive flexibility. However, literature increasingly emphasizes the importance of using multiple instrument types to ensure accurate results.

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