Bindings for Action: Bridging the Gap Between Theories of Procedural Working Memory and Action Control Research

Two research traditions, action control and procedural working memory research, have addressed the question of how humans control actions, largely independently from each other. While both research traditions consider binding as an important mechanism for action control, they conceptualize this mechanism differently. Here, we argue that a comparison and synthesis of both research traditions might lead to a better understanding of the conceptualization of bindings. We first provide a brief overview of recent frameworks developed in the respective research traditions: the BRAC framework (Frings et al., 2020) and the procedural working memory (WM) model (Oberauer, 2013). We then analyze the similarities and differences between the BRAC and WM perspectives. As a first step toward fostering an integrative model of action control, we present an extension of the procedural WM model that can account for the main empirical findings investigated within the BRAC framework and that might serve as a blueprint for future integration.