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Updated: Jul 26, 2026
12:33
Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation
Published on: December 31, 2013
Intention insertion: Activating an action's perceptual consequences is sufficient to induce non-willed motor behavior
James Colton1, Patric Bach1, Ben Whalley1
1School of Psychology.
Journal of Experimental Psychology. General
|July 6, 2018
Summary
Even when trying to suppress actions, strong perceptual cues can trigger involuntary movements. This supports ideomotor theories, suggesting action intentions arise from anticipated sensory outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
Background:
- The precise mechanisms of human motor control and intentional action remain debated.
- Ideomotor theories propose that action intentions are perceptual, driven by anticipated sensory consequences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide direct evidence for ideomotor theories of action control.
- To investigate whether strong perceptual activation can initiate involuntary actions.
Main Methods:
- Participants mentally rehearsed movement sequences.
- Visual cues, compatible or incompatible with imagined actions, were unexpectedly presented.
- Participants were instructed to withhold actions but were forewarned.
Main Results:
- Involuntary actions were executed when perceptual cues strongly activated action effects, even when participants attempted to suppress them.
- Combined activation from imagery and perception was sufficient to trigger these unintended actions.
Conclusions:
- Ideomotor cues can initiate actions de novo, not just influence preplanned responses.
- This provides empirical support for the role of perceptual anticipation in action initiation and control.
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