The Free Will Show Episode 97: Intention and Memory with Wayne Wu
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Apr 14, 2025 Wayne Wu, a Professor at the University of Pittsburgh and expert in attention, intention, and memory, shares insights on the complexities of agency. He discusses how attention is crucial for action and distinguishes between automaticity and control in our choices. Wayne reveals how intentions act as a form of memory, guiding coherent actions over time. He also tackles the phenomenon of choking under pressure, linking it to the balance between reflective control and automatic processes. His work invites listeners to rethink how we engage with intention and memory.
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Attention As The Selection Mechanism
- Attention solves selection problems by selecting one target among many to deal with.
- Wayne Wu argues attention is built into every action because actions instantiate selection structures.
Control And Automaticity Can Coexist
- Automaticity and control are opposing features but can coexist across different action properties.
- Wu resolves the tension by treating control and automaticity as properties of different action features.
Learning To Drive Illustrates Offloading
- Wayne Wu recalls learning to drive and initially attending to many controls.
- As skills automatize, you offload details and regain cognitive resources for higher-level control.
