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Updated: Aug 8, 2026

A Fully Automated Rodent Conditioning Protocol for Sensorimotor Integration and Cognitive Control Experiments
Published on: April 15, 2014
Moving from cognition to behavior: What the research says
Russell E Johnson1, Chu-Hsiang Chang, Robert G Lord
1Department of Psychology, University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-4301, USA. rej1@uakron.edu
This study supports Lord and Levy's control theory, showing human information processing principles aid goal achievement. Evidence confirms activating relevant information and inhibiting irrelevant information are key to reaching goals.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Control Theory
Background:
- Lord and Levy (1994) proposed a control theory integrating human information processing.
- Contemporary research offers new insights into information processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- Evaluate empirical support for Lord and Levy's propositions.
- Update the theory with current information processing research.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and meta-analytic analyses.
- Examination of diverse empirical evidence.
Main Results:
- Strong support found for activating goal-relevant information.
- Evidence confirmed for inhibiting goal-irrelevant information.
- Positive consequences of goal completion were verified.
Conclusions:
- The theory is empirically supported, with meaningful effects demonstrated by meta-analysis.
- Future directions include goal emergence and the role of velocity/acceleration in goal striving.
- Integration with cognitive neuroscience research is proposed.
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