“Difficulties in the ability to accurately switch between tasks are consistently reflected by increased error rates and increased reaction times on correct trials. Such “switch costs” are thought to arise from persistence of the task set from previous trials and consequent interference with task set reconfiguration: the ability to implement a new task set in advance of subsequent trials.”

From Neural Correlates for Task Switching in the Macaque Superior Colliculus in the Journal of Neurophysiology 118 (4), 2156-2170 2017 Oct 1.

Study authors: Jason L. Chan, Michael J. Koval, Kevin Johnston, Stefan Everling.

More from this study: “Task-switching behavior and superior colliculus (SC) activity were investigated in nonhuman primates performing randomly interleaved pro- and anti-saccade tasks. Here, we report error rate and reaction time switch costs in macaque monkeys and associated differences in stimulus-related activity of saccade-related neurons in the SC. These results provide a neural correlate for task switching and suggest that the SC is modulated by task-switching processes and may reflect the completion of task set reconfiguration.”

Open access: https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/jn.00139.2017