Instrumental Actions: Goal-Directed and Habitual

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Instrumental Actions: Goal-Directed and Habitual

You tilt the bottle thereby pouring prosecco all over Zac's trousers. You might say, the goal of my actions was not to soak Zac's trousers but to fill his glass.

What is the relation between an instrumental action and the outcome (or outcomes) to which it is directed?

As this illustrates, some actions involving are instrumental in the sense that

among all their actual and possible consequences,

there are outcomes to which they are directed

In such cases we can say that the actions are clearly instrumental.

Concerning any such actions, we can ask What is the relation between an instrumental action and the outcome or outcomes to which it is directed?

The standard answer to this question involves intention.

An intention (1) specifies an outcome,

(2) coordinates the one or several activities which comprise the action;

and (3) coordinate these activities in a way that would normally facilitate the outcome’s occurrence.

What binds particular component actions together into larger instrumental actions? It is the fact that these actions are all parts of plans involving a single intention. What singles out an actual or possible outcome as one to which the component actions are collectively directed? It is the fact that this outcome is represented by the intention.

So the intention is what binds component actions together into instrumental actions and links the action taken as a whole to the outcomes to which they are directed.

desire	I fill Zak’s glass.
belief	If I pour, I will fill Zak’s glass.
intention	I pour to fill Zak’s glass.

‘instrumental behavior is controlled by two dissociable processes: a goal-directed and an habitual process’

‘an action is goal-directed if it is mediated by the interaction of a representation of the causal relationship between the action and outcome and a representation of the current incentive value, or utility, of the outcome in a way that rationalizes the action as instrumental for attaining the goal’ Dickinson (2016, p. 177).

stimulus -> action -> outcome

may be rewarding; if it is ...

When the action is performed in the presence of the simulus, the connection is strengthened (or ‘reinforced’) if the action is rewarded.

If the connection is strong enough, the presence of the stimulus will cause the action to occur.

habitual process

Action occurs in the presence of Stimulus.

Agent is rewarded [/punished]

Stimulus-Action Link is strengthened [/weakened] due to reward [/punishment]

Given Stimulus, will Action occur? It depends on the strength of the Stimulus-Action Link.

Let’s check we all understand the key terms here.

Action may be a complex, coordinated instrumental action, such as pressing a lever.

What is the relation between an instrumental action and the outcome or outcomes to which it is directed?

habitual

The outcome is related to the action via their history.

Action was caused by stimulus-action link

Stimulus-action link exists because of a rewarding Outcome in the past

Habitual processes exist to enable the agent to bring such Outcomes about.

next step: relate it to philosophical theories of action

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Instrumental Actions: Goal-Directed and Habitual

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