Understanding goal selection through human limitations

Human goal selection is simultaneously flexible and structured. Existing accounts explain thisdichotomy in terms of a biological reward function that may have proved adaptive on evolutionarytimescales. However, such explanations struggle to capture the human ability to quickly and flexiblyreevaluate goals and stimuli in response to changing contexts. In this article, we consider howhuman goal selection may be shaped by cognitive limitations. We structure this perspective aroundthree computational-style problems that people face when selecting their own goals: consideration,evaluation, and feasibility. Overall, we offer a brief survey of relevant literature alongside a resource-rational account of structured goal selection without appealing to intrinsic rewards.