Brain signals do not demonstrate unconscious decision making: An interpretation based on graded conscious awareness

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• 作者：Jeff Miller ; Wolf Schwarz
• 关键词：Neuroscience ; Consciousness ; Decision making ; Libet
• 刊名：Consciousness and Cognition
• 出版年：February, 2014
• 年：2014
• 卷：24
• 期：Complete
• 页码：12-21
• 全文大小：363 K

文摘

Neuroscientific studies have shown that brain activity correlated with a decision to move can be observed before a person reports being consciously aware of having made that decision (e.g., Libet, Gleason, Wright, & Pearl, 1983; Soon, Brass, Heinze, & Haynes, 2008). Given that a later event (i.e., conscious awareness) cannot cause an earlier one (i.e., decision-related brain activity), such results have been interpreted as evidence that decisions are made unconsciously (e.g., Libet, 1985). We argue that this interpretation depends upon an all-or-none view of consciousness, and we offer an alternative interpretation of the early decision-related brain activity based on models in which conscious awareness of the decision to move develops gradually up to the level of a reporting criterion. Under this interpretation, the early brain activity reflects sub-criterion levels of awareness rather than complete absence of awareness and thus does not suggest that decisions are made unconsciously.