Neural representations of task rules are maintained in the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for planning action.

Anne Trafton | MIT News Office  November 19, 2018

How the brain switches between different sets of rules

When you slow down after exiting the highway, or hush your voice in the library, you’re using this brain mechanism.

Image: MIT News -->

     Cognitive flexibility — the brain’s ability to switch between different rules or action plans depending on the context — is key to many of our everyday activities. For example, imagine you’re driving on a highway at 65 miles per hour. When you exit onto a local street, you realize that the situation has changed and you need to slow down.