Task switching processes

Task switching is a core component of cognitive control processes that enable goal-directed behavior and are supported by frontoparietal networks. Neuropsychological switching tasks are sensitive to damage in these networks, but do not specifically target control processes involved in task switching. Experimental task switching paradigms identify and differentiate between proactive control processes that prepare the system for the upcoming target and reactive control processes that resolve interference after target onset. We review electrophysiological and brain imaging studies that define the proactive and reactive cognitive control processes involved in task switching and the frontoparietal networks that support them.