Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
SpringerLink
Log in

Action Selection

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Human Action Control

  • 994 Accesses

Abstract

This chapter discusses and compares several ways to select an action, ranging from stimulus-triggered selection over rule-based selection to truly intentional action selection. It also addresses the role of practice and the way practice may change how we select actions. Finally, the role and cognitive basis of intuitive decisions is discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 69.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 89.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ach, N. (1910). Über den Willensakt und das Temperament. Leipzig, Germany: Quelle & Meyer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, J. R. (1983). The architecture of cognition. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, J. (1993). Rules of the mind. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bargh, J. A. (1989). Conditional automaticity: Varieties of automatic influence in social perception and cognition. In J. S. Uleman & J. A. Bargh (Eds.), Unintended thought (pp. 3–51). London: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bechara, A., Damasio, H., Tranel, D., & Damasio, A. R. (1997). Deciding advantageously before knowing the advantageous strategy. Science, 275, 1293–1295.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bekkering, H., & Neggers, S. F. W. (2002). Visual search is modulated by action intentions. Psychological Science, 13, 370–374.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bertelson, P. (1961). Sequential redundancy and speed in a serial two-choice responding task. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 13, 90–102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bertelson, P. (1963). S-R relationships and reaction times to new versus repeated signals in a serial task. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 65, 478–484.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bertelson, P. (1965). Serial choice reaction-time as a function of response versus signal-and-response repetition. Nature, 206, 217–218.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brebner, J. (1973). S-R compatibility and changes in RT with practice. Acta Psychologica, 37, 93–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Damasio, A. (1994). Descartes’ error: emotion, reason and the human brain. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Donders, F. C. (1868/1969). On the speed of mental processes. Acta Psychologica, 30, 412–431. (Original work published 1868)

    Google Scholar 

  • Dörner, D., Kreuzig, H. W., Reither, F., & Stäudel, T. (Eds.). (1983). Lohhausen. Vom Umgang mit Unbestimmtheit und Komplexität. Bern, Switzerland: Huber.

    Google Scholar 

  • Exner, S. (1879). Physiologie der Grosshirnrinde. In L. Hermann (Ed.), Handbuch der Physiologie (Vol. 2, pp. 189–350). Leipzig, Germany: Vogel.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fagioli, S., Hommel, B., & Schubotz, R. I. (2007). Intentional control of attention: Action planning primes action-related stimulus dimensions. Psychological Research, 71, 22–29.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Falmagne, J. C., Cohen, S. P., & Dwivedi, A. (1975). Two-choice reactions as an ordered memory scanning process. In P. M. A. Rabbitt & S. Dornic (Eds.), Attention and performance (Vol. V, pp. 296–344). San Diego, CA: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fitts, P.M., & Posner, M.I. (1967). Human Performance. Brooks/Cole Pub. Co. Belmont, CA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hick, W. E. (1952). On the rate of gain of information. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 4, 11–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hommel, B. (1993). The relationship between stimulus processing and response selection in the Simon task: Evidence for a temporal overlap. Psychological Research, 55, 280–290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hommel, B. (1998a). Automatic stimulus-response translation in dual-task performance. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 24, 1368–1384.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hommel, B. (1998b). Event files: Evidence for automatic integration of stimulus-response episodes. Visual Cognition, 5, 183–216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hommel, B. (2000). The prepared reflex: Automaticity and control in stimulus-response translation. In S. Monsell & J. Driver (Eds.), Control of cognitive processes: Attention and performance (Vol. XVIII, pp. 247–273). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hyman, R. (1953). Stimulus information as a determinant of reaction time. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 45, 188–196.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • James, W. (1884). What is an emotion? Mind, 9, 188–205.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keren, G., & Wagenaar, W. A. (1985). On the psychology of playing Blackjack: Normative and descriptive considerations with implications for decision theory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 114, 133–158.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kirby, N. H. (1980). Sequential effects in choice reaction time. In A. T. Welford (Ed.), Reaction times (pp. 129–172). London: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kornblum, S. (1973). Sequential effects in choice reaction time: A tutorial review. In S. Kornblum (Ed.), Attention and performance (Vol. IV, pp. 259–288). New York: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kornblum, S., Hasbroucq, T., & Osman, A. (1990). Dimensional overlap: Cognitive basis for stimulus response compatibility: A model and taxonomy. Psychological Review, 97, 253–270.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leonard, J. A. (1959). Tactual choice reaction times. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 11, 76–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lhermitte, F. (1983). “Utilization behaviour” and its relation to lesions of the frontal lobes. Brain, 106, 237–255.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Logan, G. D., & Schulkind, M. D. (2000). Parallel memory retrieval in dual-task situations: I. Semantic memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 26, 1072–1090.

    Google Scholar 

  • Longstreth, L. E., El-Zahhar, N., & Alcorn, M. B. (1985). Exceptions to Hick’s law: Explorations with a response duration measure. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 114, 417–434.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Merkel, J. (1885). Die Zeitlichen Verhältnisse der Wiellensthätigkeit. Philosophische Studien, 2, 73–127.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, D. E., & Kieras, D. E. (1997). A computational theory of executive cognitive processes and multiple-task performance: Part 1. Basic mechanisms. Psychological Review, 104, 3–65.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mowbray, G. H., & Rhoades, M. U. (1959). On the reduction of choice reaction times with practice. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1, 16–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Niemi, P., & Näätänen, R. (1981). Foreperiod and simple reaction time. Psychological Bulletin, 89, 133–162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rasmussen, J. (1980). What can be learned from human error reports? In K. D. Duncan, M. M. Gruenberg, & D. Wallis (Eds.), Changes in working life (pp. 97–113). Chichester, England: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rhinehart, L. (1971). The dice man. St Albans, England: Frogmore.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robertson, S. I. (1999). Types of thinking. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rolls, E. T. (1999). The brain and emotion. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seibel, R. (1963). Discrimination reaction time for a 1,023-alternative task. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 66, 215–226.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Simon, J. R., Craft, J. L., & Webster, J. B. (1973). Reactions toward the stimulus source: Analysis of correct responses and errors over a five-day period. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 101, 175–178.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Soetens, E., Boer, L. C., & Hueting, J. E. (1985). Expectancy or automatic facilitation? Separating sequential effects in two-choice reaction time. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 11, 598–616.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg, S. (1969). The discovery of processing stages: Extensions of Donders’ method. Acta Psychologica, 30, 276–315.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stroop, J. R. (1935). Studies of interference in serial verbal reactions. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 18, 643–662.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thorndike, E. L. (1927). The law of effect. American Journal of Psychology, 39, 212–222.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Valle-Inclán, F., & Redondo, M. (1998). On the automaticity of ipsilateral response activation in the Simon effect. Psychophysiology, 35, 366–371.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vervaeck, K. R., & Boer, L. C. (1980). Sequential effects in two-choice reaction time: Subjective expectancy and automatic aftereffect at short response-stimulus intervals. Acta Psychologica, 44, 175–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woodworth, R. S. (1899). The accuracy of voluntary movement. Psychological Review; Monograph Supplements, 3, 1–114.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Bernhard Hommel & Stephen B. R. E. Brown

  2. Institute of Psychology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Dieter Nattkemper

Authors
  1. Bernhard Hommel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Stephen B. R. E. Brown
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Dieter Nattkemper
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Hommel, B., Brown, S.B.R.E., Nattkemper, D. (2016). Action Selection. In: Human Action Control. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09244-7_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation