Abstract

Movements of the Mind offers a compelling and empirically grounded theory of agency and attention, arguing that the structure of action depends on the capacity of attention. This capacity is also central to the explanation of how memory can be geared towards immediate action, as memory 'for work', because attention is essential for the solution of selection problems that require working memory. This seemingly simple structure has substantial and broad consequences for various aspects of cognition, allowing for the integration of automatic processing and top-down routines with the articulation of physical and mental action. This account of agency and attention is also applicable to non-human cognition.