Final answer:
Divided attention allows us to perform multiple tasks by allocating mental resources efficiently. Routine tasks can become automated, freeing up cognitive capacity for simultaneous activities. The brain's development of heuristics further aids this ability by streamlining cognitive processes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Divided attention allows individuals to perform multiple tasks simultaneously by allocating mental resources to each task. An example of this is listening to music while studying. Initially, studying demands significant attention, but as the individual becomes more familiar with the material, the studying task can become more automated, requiring less conscious focus. This frees up mental resources to enjoy music, which acts as a background stimulus and can often be processed with less cognitive effort.
Our ability to use divided attention is said to involve the use of heuristics, or mental shortcuts that the brain develops through learning and repetition. Tasks that were once novel and required vigilant monitoring and recognition of signals in noise can, over time, become routine and require less active thinking. Hence, once you have sufficient practice, it's possible to engage in an activity like commuting on autopilot while planning your day, as the mental resources demanded for navigating a familiar route are reduced.
Classification and division strategies in problem-solving are akin to divided attention in cognitive tasks. By breaking down a complex task into smaller components, each part becomes less mentally taxing, facilitating multitasking.