Kontextväxling

Kontextväxling, or context switching, describes the process of changing from one context or task to another. The term is used in both computing and cognitive psychology, referring to different but related phenomena.

In computing refers to the operating system’s act of switching the CPU between processes or threads to achieve multitasking. During a context switch, the system saves the state of the currently running task (such as registers, program counter, stack pointer and, if needed, memory management information) and later restores the state of the next task to be run. This allows multiple tasks to share a single CPU but introduces overhead in time and cache efficiency, since memory caches and translation lookaside buffers may be invalidated or repopulated during the switch. The frequency and cost of context switches depend on the scheduler, the number of runnable tasks, and hardware support.

In cognitive psychology and everyday use, kontextväxling refers to switching attention between different tasks or mental sets. This switch incurs a cognitive cost, often manifested as longer completion times and a higher error rate, particularly when tasks are similar or interruptions are frequent. Factors influencing the cost include task similarity, task complexity, and the habit of interruptions. Techniques to reduce costs include single-task focus, batching related tasks, and designing workflows that minimize unnecessary interruptions.

Context switching is a fundamental consideration in both system design and workplace productivity, shaping how operating systems allocate CPU time and how people structure work to maintain performance and accuracy.