Which term best describes the ability to switch flexibly between tasks?

• A. Cognitive flexibility
• B. Inhibition
• C. Working memory
• D. Processing speed

Answer: (A)

Cognitive flexibility is the capacity to adapt thinking and behavior when goals or rules change, including switching between tasks or mental sets. This is exactly what’s being asked—the ability to switch flexibly from one task to another as demands shift—often described as set-shifting. It reflects how well you can apply different rules or strategies under new conditions. Inhibition focuses on suppressing automatic responses, working memory on holding and manipulating information, and processing speed on how quickly you can perform cognitive operations. None of those capture the dynamic shifting between tasks as comprehensively as cognitive flexibility.