The How, What, and Why of Functional Synchronization

Human behavior can take very diverse forms. In the course of a few hours, you may be preparing breakfast, having an empathic conversation with your partner, dealing with an obnoxious salesperson on the phone, working on a scientific manuscript, engaging in a group discussion with colleagues, and replacing a flickering light in a conference room. Each of these separate acts calls upon a specific set of perceptions, mental operations, physical movements, and social skills, yet the transition between them can seem effortless and can occur in rapid manner. What properties of psychological structure allow for such diversity and capacity for sudden change?