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In defense of attention: why perceptual selection cannot be replaced by decision boundaries

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 November 2025

Angus F. Chapman Open the ORCID record for Angus F. Chapman [Opens in a new window] ,
Douglas A. Addleman Open the ORCID record for Douglas A. Addleman [Opens in a new window]  and
Viola S. Störmer Open the ORCID record for Viola S. Störmer [Opens in a new window]
Angus F. Chapman
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
Douglas A. Addleman
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA, USA
Viola S. Störmer*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA Viola.S.Stoermer@dartmouth.edu
*
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

This commentary refutes Rosenholtz’s claim that visual attention lacks conceptual validity. We contend that attention remains important for elucidating capacity-limited perceptual processing and explaining phenomenological experience. Alternative frameworks centered on tasks and decision boundaries fail to account for perceptual effects that attentional mechanisms can capture. Thus, preserving attention as a theoretical construct is important, providing interpretive frameworks for empirical investigations.

Information

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 48 , 2025 , e135
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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