Models of making choice and control over thought for action

Abstract

We usually select the most suitable option from available alternatives to interact with the environment for our well-being. A successful interaction with the environment warrants continuous accumulation and interpretation of sensory information, and making a choice to guide an action based on the sensory evidence gathered and the prior knowledge. However, if the choice becomes inappropriate due to abrupt changes in the environment or personal preference, inhibition of the planned movement is more beneficial than its execution. The ability to cancel the thought for an action requires timely exertion of an inhibitory control. How we select a goal, plan an action, evaluate risk, and inhibit the urge to execute the action remain as central issues for further exploration in cognitive science. In this review, we summarize relatively recent computational frameworks in the light of corresponding behavioral and physiological data, which have advanced our understanding of decision-making and executive control.