"Inducing Disbelief in Free Will Alters Brain Correlates of Preconscious Motor Preparation" →

psydoctor8:

From the Neuroethics and Law blog:

Abstract

The feeling of being in control of one’s own actions is a strong subjective experience. However, discoveries in psychology and neuroscience challenge the validity of this experience and suggest that free will is just an illusion. This raises a question: What would happen if people started to disbelieve in free will? Previous research has shown that low control beliefs affect performance and motivation. Recently, it has been shown that undermining free-will beliefs influences social behavior. In the study reported here, we investigated whether undermining beliefs in free will affects brain correlates of voluntary motor preparation. Our results showed that the readiness potential was reduced in individuals induced to disbelieve in free will. This effect was evident more than 1 s before participants consciously decided to move, a finding that suggests that the manipulation influenced intentional actions at preconscious stages. Our findings indicate that abstract belief systems might have a much more fundamental effect than previously thought.   

Full paper.

Very interesting, especially considering recent discussions in the science world regarding whether “free will” exists. Whether or not we do have complete control over our actions, it seems that believing that we have free will plays a significant role in our behavior. 

This post has 75 notes.
  1. introspectivestardust reblogged this from psydoctor8
  2. neuromatic reblogged this from psydoctor8
  3. simplyrachelsinit reblogged this from neuroticthought
  4. sisyphus-redeemed reblogged this from psydoctor8
  5. dfvgkmng reblogged this from psydoctor8
  6. parameterchild reblogged this from s33
  7. yoctoontologist reblogged this from psydoctor8 and added:
    So telling people about the Libet readiness potential experiments might alter the results of said experiments? I think...
  8. kindagamey reblogged this from s33 and added:
    ding ding ding! . no one has yet proven randomness (even “chaos” contains patterns) and when i was a child i was shocked...
  9. mppsyd reblogged this from psydoctor8 and added:
    This last sentence is all I’m trying to say, and in my opinion it has huge implications for what we mean by free will.
  10. questionall reblogged this from neuroticthought
  11. s33 reblogged this from psydoctor8 and added:
    So if whether or not you believe in your own free will affects the neurological behaviors related to exercising free...
  12. neuroticthought reblogged this from psydoctor8
  13. wittykid316 reblogged this from psydoctor8
  14. fewheel reblogged this from redpogosticks
  15. foldedtowels reblogged this from psydoctor8 and added:
    Very interesting, especially considering recent discussions in the science world regarding whether “free will” exists....
  16. llamallamaredpajama reblogged this from psydoctor8
  17. ewwpeople reblogged this from psydoctor8
  18. redpogosticks reblogged this from psydoctor8
  19. section5 reblogged this from psydoctor8
  20. tiredpterois reblogged this from nofna and added:
    Very interesting
  21. wispus reblogged this from nofna and added:
    this is relevant to me because I was looking over an argument and I couldn’t figure out WHY animals and people naturally...