ABSTRACT
Cognitive control involves every cognitive skill that can be utilised to ensure that one's thoughts and actions are coordinated in such a way that they remain consistent with one's goals. This chapter discusses the most common of these processes and outlines how they contribute to executing complex tasks and prevent distraction. The chapter starts with a discussion of executive functions, how impairments of these functions impact task performance in neuropsychological patients, and whether these functions operate in unison or not. Key neural mechanisms involved in executive functions are also identified, specifically inhibitory control and task switching. This is followed by a discussion of conflict monitoring and error detection processes. Following a historic retrospect that introduces several key concepts relevant to dual task performance, such as the cognitive bottleneck theory, the psychological refractory period, and several resource models, contemporary ideas on multitasking and task switching are discussed. Following a discussion of the classic automatic versus controlled processing dichotomy, the chapter introduces a current-day perspective on the automatisation of tasks. The chapter closes by discussing the processes that are involved in converting a verbal instruction into a set of task sets.
