Going for It: The Economics of Automaticity in Perception and Action. (April 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Anderson, Brian A.
• Is Part Of: Current directions in psychological science. Volume 26:Number 2(2017)
• Page Start: 140
• Page End: 145
• Publication Date: 2017-04
• Subjects: selective attention -- reward -- distraction -- decision making -- automaticity; Psychology -- Periodicals; 150
• DOI: 10.1177/0963721416686181
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0963-7214

Abstract

What we pay attention to is influenced by reward learning. Previously reward-associated stimuli are difficult to ignore, automatically drawing our attention even when we know they are no longer beneficial to us. Recent research has suggested that these value-dependent attentional biases affect more than just perception, biasing an individual to act in such a way as to pursue the attended stimulus. Here, I review this evidence and argue for a direct link between attentional biases and shifts in action-related priorities. Given this link, abnormal or otherwise inappropriate reward-related attentional biases are hypothesized to contribute to undesired habits and poor economic choices.