Publications [#385746] of Michael Tomasello

Journal Articles

1. Tomasello, M, Attention in evolutionary perspective., The Behavioral and brain sciences, vol. 48 (November, 2025), pp. e157 [doi]
   (last updated on 2026/01/10)

   Abstract:
   Why have some organisms evolved processes of attention as distinct from perception in general? Investigation of freely behaving organisms (not in laboratory tasks) suggests that attention as distinct from perception is critical for goal-directed organisms' value-based decision making. As such, the target of attention is not punctate stimuli, but whole situations (scenes) that are relevant to that decision.