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Attention is still a productive framework

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 November 2025

Tianye Ma ,
Inik Kim ,
Sahereh Varastegan ,
Li Yang ,
Jessica Golding  and
Weiwei Zhang Open the ORCID record for Weiwei Zhang [Opens in a new window]
Tianye Ma
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside , CA, US mack.ma@email.ucr.edu inik.kim@email.ucr.edu svara010@ucr.edu lyang147@ucr.edu jgold065@ucr.edu Weiwei.zhang@ucr.edu
Inik Kim
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside , CA, US mack.ma@email.ucr.edu inik.kim@email.ucr.edu svara010@ucr.edu lyang147@ucr.edu jgold065@ucr.edu Weiwei.zhang@ucr.edu
Sahereh Varastegan
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside , CA, US mack.ma@email.ucr.edu inik.kim@email.ucr.edu svara010@ucr.edu lyang147@ucr.edu jgold065@ucr.edu Weiwei.zhang@ucr.edu
Li Yang
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside , CA, US mack.ma@email.ucr.edu inik.kim@email.ucr.edu svara010@ucr.edu lyang147@ucr.edu jgold065@ucr.edu Weiwei.zhang@ucr.edu
Jessica Golding
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside , CA, US mack.ma@email.ucr.edu inik.kim@email.ucr.edu svara010@ucr.edu lyang147@ucr.edu jgold065@ucr.edu Weiwei.zhang@ucr.edu
Weiwei Zhang*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside , CA, US mack.ma@email.ucr.edu inik.kim@email.ucr.edu svara010@ucr.edu lyang147@ucr.edu jgold065@ucr.edu Weiwei.zhang@ucr.edu
*
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

The debate on attention’s validity in cognitive psychology persists. However, attention remains essential beyond peripheral vision constraints, as it is a resource-limited process (Norman & Bobrow, 1975). The outright dismissal of attention proposed in the target article risks conceptual voids without superior alternatives. Instead, refining attention as a theoretical framework offers a pragmatic path for advancing cognitive research.

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Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 48 , 2025 , e148
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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