--- title: "Multitasking Attempt – What Happens in the Brain | Brain Model" description: "Why the brain processes no two demanding tasks simultaneously – the neuroanatomy of task switching. dlPFC, ACC and basal ganglia in concert." canonical: https://www.brainmodel.digital/understand-the-brain/multitasking-attempt/ parent: https://www.brainmodel.digital/understand-the-brain/ author: Johannes Faupel site: brainmodel.digital — Anatomically interactive. Scientifically precise. No therapeutic school. license: Citation welcome with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. type: educational — healthy-brain function, not diagnosis or therapy --- > **Canonical page (cite this):** [Map 41 – Multitasking Attempt](https://www.brainmodel.digital/understand-the-brain/multitasking-attempt/) # Map 41 – Multitasking Attempt Why the brain processes no two demanding tasks simultaneously – and what actually happens during a multitasking attempt ## Anatomically and biochemically The brain has no multitasking mode for demanding tasks. The **dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC; working memory and executive control)** can hold only one task in focus at a time. When two demanding tasks are presented simultaneously, the brain switches rapidly between them – a process cognitive scientists call task switching. What feels like simultaneity is alternating focus. The **basal ganglia (striatum; responsible for action selection and task switching)** take over the decision about which task gets the dlPFC focus. The **anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)** monitors the conflict between the tasks and signals the conflict costs. The **thalamus** forwards the signals of whichever task is currently active. Every task switch has costs: the dlPFC needs time to build the context of the new task, while the context of the previous task partially fades. These switch costs accumulate – with many switches per hour, they become substantial. Why does multitasking sometimes feel productive even when the quality of both tasks suffers? Because the brain rates the activity itself as progress. More movement, more tasks in progress – the dlPFC registers activity, not quality. Why are interruptions so costly? Because every interruption is a forced task switch. After the interruption, the dlPFC must rebuild the context of the original task – this takes measurably longer than the interruption itself. Why do people work more efficiently in blocks? Because sequential processing eliminates switch costs and allows the dlPFC to enter deeply into the context of one task. ## Examples from everyday life - **E-mail and writing simultaneously:** Both tasks demand the dlPFC. Switching between e-mail and text costs context rebuilding each time. - **Phone call and typing:** Automated tasks (typing) and verbal processing compete less strongly than two verbal tasks. - **Meeting and e-mail:** Every reply to an e-mail in a meeting is a task switch. The quality of both tasks suffers. - **Cooking and conversation:** When cooking is automated, it competes little with conversation. As soon as something unexpected happens, the kitchen wins the focus. - **The Pomodoro technique:** Short focus blocks with defined breaks eliminate switch costs. The dlPFC can dive in deeply. This is why the technique makes neurobiological sense. ## What this card does not say This card describes a normal mechanism in the healthy human brain. The absence of a true multitasking mode is not a deficit – it is an architectural decision. This card is not a diagnostic tool and not a treatment guide. ## You now understand what happens in the brain during a multitasking attempt. Three ways to go further: **① Deepen now – Mind Rooms** The complete e-book on the spatial method for mental clarity. $9.70 [View e-book](https://www.mindrooms.net/e-book/) Or order via email: buch@exponere.de $9.70 via PayPal, the e-book will be sent to your PayPal email **② Community – skool.com/supervision** Daily answers from Johannes Faupel to community questions and discussion of the maps. $37 / month [Join skool.com/supervision](https://www.skool.com/supervision) **③ Personal contact – Phone** Questions about publications or booking options for Johannes Faupel? +49 69 68 60 12 99 Please note that no questions on psychological or related topics can be answered. ## Scientific sources for this map: 1. Worringer, B., Langner, R., Koch, I., Eickhoff, S., Eickhoff, C., & Binkofski, F. (2019). Common and distinct neural correlates of dual-tasking and task-switching: A meta-analytic review and a neuro-cognitive processing model of human multitasking. *Brain Structure and Function, 224*, 1845–1869. [doi.org/10.1007/s00429-019-01870-4](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-019-01870-4) 2. Yue, Q., Newton, A., & Marois, R. (2025). Ultrafast fMRI reveals serial queuing of information processing during multitasking in the human brain. *Nature Communications, 16*. [doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58228-0](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58228-0) 3. Koch, I., Poljac, E., Müller, H., & Kiesel, A. (2018). Cognitive structure, flexibility, and plasticity in human multitasking: An integrative review of dual-task and task-switching research. *Psychological Bulletin, 144*, 557–583. [doi.org/10.1037/bul0000144](https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000144) --- *These visualisations are scientific educational representations of normal brain functions in the healthy human brain. They are not diagnostic tools, not therapy, and not a substitute for medical or psychotherapeutic treatment. If you suspect a mental health condition, please consult a licensed professional.* --- *Source page: https://www.brainmodel.digital/understand-the-brain/multitasking-attempt/ · Author: Johannes Faupel · educational — healthy-brain function, not diagnosis or therapy.*