Understanding Cognitive Flexibility
Updated: Sep 7
What happens when the plan doesn’t go as planned?
What is cognitive flexibility?
I left home on time, I reached the station on time, I caught my train, I got off at the right station and waited to catch my connecting train to the airport, but that train was delayed, and it kept getting delayed. Panic started to set in. I opened Google Maps and looked for alternatives – a taxi would take too long and be way too expensive, but there was another train on the neighbouring platform. If I caught that, then I could get off at the next station and then catch another train to the airport. It was a split-second decision, and I made it!
What you just read was cognitive flexibility in action. The moment I realised, “I can’t keep waiting for this train,” I had to change the plan I had made while my goal remained the same – catching my flight. That’s cognitive flexibility in action.
Imagine if I had stood there and just kept waiting. What would have been the cost? I would have missed my 10-hour flight. I would have lost a lot of money, but worse, I would have added more stress and frustration. That’s the emotional cost of inflexibility—the inability to adapt to a changing situation and unlock alternatives.
What is cognitive inflexibility?
Have you faced a situation where somebody makes the same mistakes over and over again?
I had a student who, in her psychology assignments, had to use the APA method for citations, and it carried 10 marks. She always got 1 out of 10 and asked, “Why aren't my marks changing?” The issue was that even after clear feedback, she never revisited her approach. She continued doing things in the same way, expecting a different outcome. That gave me a clue into her cognitive inflexibility; she was struggling to recognise that her approach wasn't working and change her strategy, which impacted her academic performance.
Cognitive inflexibility shows up in day-to-day life and can have heavy emotional costs as well.
A student stuck in a situation similar to mine at the airport once called his parents when his flight was delayed and he was going to miss his connecting flight. He didn't know what to do, and he got frustrated and angry.
Now you might argue that this is emotional dysregulation, and I agree, because they are interlinked, but the order matters. I would argue that the child may not have been able to think of any solutions in that moment. He got stuck in a loop, and that contributed to his emotional dysregulation.
It also shows us how closely cognitive flexibility is connected to problem-solving and emotional regulation. When a child can't shift their thinking or generate an alternative, they can get stuck. If they are emotionally dysregulated, it becomes even harder to think flexibly and problem-solve. The two can feed into each other.
Cognitive Flexibility: The Mechanism & Neurodivergence
It is more complicated for neurodivergent individuals since cognitive flexibility is so closely related to executive functioning skills. Though that doesn't mean it's exclusive to them or that every neurodivergent person experiences it the same way.
Think about school; it is a structured environment. A child goes from one class to the next, and as they move from one class to another, the demands and expectations can change; the teacher is different, the books are different, and the language may be different. The way they are expected to participate may be different.
The child may struggle to shift according to these changing expectations and then feel lost and frustrated.
Many times, you will hear a parent say, “No, if any plan changes, they get very upset.”
When things don't go according to plan, some children may panic, become overwhelmed, or have a meltdown.
Sometimes, their coping mechanism itself can become overly rigid.
I had a colleague who once said, “My mind is so chaotic, which is why I am overly organised.” It is another example of how our attempts to create order and predictability can sometimes become rigid.
All of these are examples of how the inability to adapt can impact everyday life, whether it be
Finances
work/job
Emotions
Academics
Relationships
So it is important to understand cognitive flexibility to be able to recognise it in yourself, your client, and your child.
Cognitive Flexibility: A Lifelong Skill
Cognitive flexibility develops over time and remains a lifelong skill — it develops through childhood and adolescence, continues to mature into adulthood, and can decline later in life. Understanding how cognitive flexibility develops and what influences it at every stage is important because it affects how we adapt, problem-solve, and respond to change in everyday life. I mean, it is recognised as an important 21st-century skill after all.
Key Takeaways
Cognitive flexibility means being able to adapt your thinking and change your approach when something isn’t working.
Cognitive flexibility works alongside self-awareness, emotional regulation, attention, working memory, motivation, and problem-solving.
When we struggle to recognise that an approach isn’t working or cannot generate an alternative, we can become stuck in a loop, which is cognitive inflexibility.
Cognitive inflexibility can affect everyday life, including academics, work, relationships, finances, and how we respond to change.
For neurodivergent individuals, changing expectations, routines, and environments can place greater demands on cognitive flexibility, sometimes leading to frustration, overwhelm, or rigid coping strategies.
Cognitive flexibility develops across the lifespan and is an important skill for navigating an ever-changing world.
Cognitive flexibility helps us navigate a changing world across a lifetime. The
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Next week: When transitions become trigger points
From changing schools and cities to changing goals and stages of life — exploring the role of cognitive flexibility in navigating change.
References:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352154623000967
Book: International Encyclopedia of Ergonomics and Human Factors – 3 Volume Set
edited by Informa Healthcare, Waldemar Karwowski. Chapter Cognitive Flexibility, pg. 297-301
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