Herrmann Christoph S, Pauen Michael, Min Byoung-Kyong, Busch Niko A, Rieger Jochem W
Otto-von-Guericke-University, Department for Biological Psychology, Magdeburg, Germany.
Int J Psychophysiol. 2008 Feb;67(2):151-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2007.10.013. Epub 2007 Nov 22.
Benjamin Libet has demonstrated that the readiness potential precedes the time at which participants consciously decide to perform an intentional motor act, and suggested that free will is an illusion. We performed an experiment where participants observed a stimulus on a computer monitor and were instructed to press one of two buttons, depending on the presented stimulus. We found neural activity preceding the motor response, similar to Libet's experiments. However, this activity was already present prior to stimulus presentation, and thus before participants could decide which button to press. Therefore, we argue that this activity does not specifically determine behaviour. Instead, it may reflect a general expectation. This interpretation would not interfere with the notion of free will.
本杰明·利贝特已经证明，准备电位先于参与者有意识地决定执行有意的运动行为的时间，并提出自由意志是一种错觉。我们进行了一项实验，让参与者在电脑显示器上观察一个刺激，并根据呈现的刺激指示按下两个按钮中的一个。我们发现了运动反应之前的神经活动，类似于利贝特的实验。然而，这种活动在刺激呈现之前就已经存在，因此在参与者能够决定按哪个按钮之前就已经存在了。因此，我们认为这种活动并不能具体决定行为。相反，它可能反映了一种普遍的预期。这种解释不会干扰自由意志的概念。
