AUTOMATICITY IS THE ABILITY to effortlessly complete everyday tasks with low interference of other simultaneous activities and without conscious thought to step-by-step process. When the brain recognizes familiar tasks it processes the information and applies the correct rules to the procedure in order to reduce the demand on the working memory and allow for higher order processing of information.

The development of automaticity involves a shift in brain usage and a reduction in brain activity. Initial processing of tasks are generally procedure based and rely on a series of sequential steps to be completed. The processing of new information makes heavy use of working memory.
As skills are repeated, the brain recognizes the information and can process it more quickly and with less effort. Dramatic changes in brain activity can be seen on fMRI scans as automaticity develops. The development of automaticity of skills generally reduces the load of the working memory by 90%. (Schneider, 2003)
Figure 1 shows how a scan of the brain might look before automaticity of a skill is acquired. The working memory is actively operating to process and categorize information. Figure 2 shows what the scan of a brain might look like after automaticity of a skill is acquired. There is a drastic reduction of activity in brain.

This is what an fMRI of the brain might look like before a skill is automatic.This is what an fMRI of the brain might look like after a skill is automatic.

Before a skill or task becomes automatized, it is carried out as a step-by-step procedure. When a child learns to brush their teeth, ride a bike or play a sport they must first learn the basic steps necessary to complete the task. For example, in Figure 3 the baseball player is learning to throw a ball. The player consciously thinks about each movement their body makes to throw the ball to the target.
Repetition of skills leads to the development of automaticity. Automaticity is achieved when a task can be completed almost effortlessly. The learner does not have to think about individual steps and can carry out the task from start to end while thinking about other things. Everyday tasks such as driving a car or taking a shower can be completed while thinking about family, work or play. For example, in Figure 4 the baseball player has already learned how to throw a baseball without thinking about individual steps. Now their mind is free to think about higher order information such as game strategy. In Figure 4, the player is thinking about one game scenario. In a real game a baseball player may think about many different play options depending on game situations. 

  

Figure 3                                                       Figure 4

Julie Collett, Graduate Student