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Recent work on the role of overlapping cerebral networks in action selection and habit formation has important implications for alcohol addiction research. As reviewed below, (1) these networks, which all involve a group of deepbrain structures called the basal ganglia, are associated with distinct behavioral control processes, such as rewardguided Pavlovian conditional responses, goaldirected instrumental actions, and stimulusdriven habits; (2) different stages of action learning are associated with different networks, which have the ability to change (i.e., plasticity); and (3) exposure to alcohol and other addictive drugs can have profound effects on these networks by influencing the mechanisms underlying neural plasticity. KEY WORDS: Addiction; alcohol and other drug (AOD) dependence; AOD use behavior; brain; neuroadaptation; cerebral networks; neural pathways; basal ganglia; neural plasticity Addiction is a series of misguided actions. Yet how the brain selects and generates actions has received surprisingly little attention in addiction research. In recent years, considerable progress has been made in identifying the neural circuits responsible for the control of goaldirected actions and habit formation. It is becoming increasingly clear that drugs of abuse can alter these neural pathways. This article discusses the mechanisms underlying rewardguided action selection and their implications for research on alcohol addiction