ORIGINAL ARTICLE Multitasking as a choice: a perspective Laura Broeker 1 • Roman Liepelt 1 • Edita Poljac 2 • Stefan Ku ¨ nzell 4 • Harald Ewolds 4 • Rita F. de Oliveira 3 • Markus Raab 1,3 Received: 16 December 2016 / Accepted: 24 October 2017 Ó Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany 2017 Abstract Performance decrements in multitasking have been explained by limitations in cognitive capacity, either modelled as static structural bottlenecks or as the scarcity of overall cognitive resources that prevent humans, or at least restrict them, from processing two tasks at the same time. However, recent research has shown that individual differences, flexible resource allocation, and prioritization of tasks cannot be fully explained by these accounts. We argue that understanding human multitasking as a choice and examining multitasking performance from the perspective of judgment and decision- making (JDM), may complement current dual-task theories. We outline two prominent theories from the area of JDM, namely Simple Heuristics and the Decision Field Theory, and adapt these theories to multitasking research. Here, we explain how computational modelling techniques and decision-making parameters used in JDM may provide a benefit to under- standing multitasking costs and argue that these techniques and parameters have the potential to predict multitasking behavior in general, and also individual differences in behavior. Finally, we present the one-reason choice metaphor to explain a flexible use of limited capacity as well as changes in serial and parallel task processing. Based on this newly combined approach, we outline a concrete interdisciplinary future research program that we think will help to further develop multitasking research. Multitasking as a choice: a perspective Performing two or more tasks at the same time is a constant requirement in daily life and science is trying to understand the core mechanisms both facilitating and limiting human mul- titasking capacity (Fischer & Plessow, 2015; Pashler, 2000). Think of the dangers associated with writing a text message or making a call while driving. It is estimated that 1.3 million people yearly die in road crashes (World Health Organization, 2015) and it is likely that many are attributable to multitasking challenges. However, think of the following scenario: you are driving to a meeting, have made the responsible decision not to take the incoming call and, upon arrival, you realise that the content of the call was the last-minute cancellation of the meeting. In this instance, multitasking would have been beneficial, and it seems important to understand if and under which conditions multitasking is possible. What this example suggests is that independent of whether individuals show complex behavior in real-life scenarios, or downscaled behavior in experiments such as button-pressing, they may encounter both choices and serious limitations in cognitive control that may lead to performance problems. In this paper, we reflect on the question of why and how individuals prioritize tasks and options, as well as on cognitive control and information processing 1 in Laura Broeker and Markus Raab contributed equally to this work. & Laura Broeker l.broeker@dshs-koeln.de 1 German Sport University, Am Sportpark Mu ¨ngersdorf 6, 50933 Cologne, Germany 2 University of Freiburg, Engelbergerstr. 41, 79085 Freiburg, Germany 3 London South Bank University, 103 Borough Road, London SE1 0AA, UK 4 University of Augsburg, Universita ¨tsstraße 2, 86159 Augsburg, Germany 1 Information processing is understood as the ability to either carry out multiple operations in parallel, or to serially attend to one item at a time in succession (Schneider & Shiffrin, 1977; Snodgrass & Townsend, 1980). 123 Psychological Research DOI 10.1007/s00426-017-0938-7