Discerning intentions in dynamic human action

When we observe others in motion, we usually care little about the surface behaviors they exhibit. What matters are their underlying intentions. Judgm ents about intentions and intentionality dictate how we understand and reme mber others' actions, how we respond, and what we predict about their futur e action. A generative knowledge system underlies our skill at discerning i ntentions, enabling us to comprehend intentions even when action is novel a nd unfolds in complex ways over time. Recent work spanning many disciplines illuminates some of the processes involved in intention detection. We revi ew these developments and articulate a set of questions cutting across curr ent theoretical dividing lines.