Human Action Control: From Intentions to Movements

This textbook provides a comprehensive introduction into the areas of human action planning and action control. Topics of interest include: stimulus-triggered selections, rule-based selections, intentional action selections, and intuitive decision-making.

This textbook provides a comprehensive introduction into the areas of human action planning and action control. It discusses the basic theoretical issues and questions in understanding the planning and control of human goal-directed action. The authors begin by presenting an integrative theoretical framework and the neurobiological foundations of action planning and execution. Subsequent chapters discuss how goals are represented and how they guide action control; how perception and action interact; how simple and complex actions are selected and planned; how multitasking works; and how actions are monitored. Topics of interest include: stimulus-triggered selections, rule-based selections, intentional action selections, and intuitive decision-making.
Human Action Control is a must-have resource for advanced undergraduates, graduates, and doctorate students in cognitive psychology and related areas, such as the cognitive neurosciences, and developmental and social psychology.


This textbook provides a comprehensive introduction into the areas of human action planning and action control. It discusses the basic theoretical issues and questions in understanding the planning and control of human goal-directed action. The authors begin by presenting an integrative theoretical framework and the neurobiological foundations of action planning and execution. Subsequent chapters discuss how goals are represented and how they guide action control; how perception and action interact; how simple and complex actions are selected and planned; how multitasking works; and how actions are monitored. Topics of interest include: stimulus-triggered selections, rule-based selections, intentional action selections, and intuitive decision-making.
Human Action Control is a must-have resource for advanced undergraduates, graduates, and doctorate students in cognitive psychology and related areas, such as the cognitive neurosciences, and developmental and social psychology.