Computational and neural mechanisms of task switching

Switching between tasks that overlap in perceptual and response characteristics is assumed to rely upon the maintenance of task representations in prefrontal cortex (PFC). However, task-switching studies demonstrate “switch costs,” even when there is sufficient time to prepare for a new task. These costs suggest that task-switching performance reflects a complex interplay between priming and the updating and maintenance of task representations. We describe a computational model in which this interaction is made explicit and linked to the dynamics of PFC. Simulation results account for a variety of empirical phenomena and predict a double dissociation in lateral PFC that was subsequently identified.