Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Criteria for Causality: Bradford Hill Criteria - II01:28

Criteria for Causality: Bradford Hill Criteria - II

656
The Bradford Hill criteria serve as guidelines for establishing causative links in epidemiological research. Beyond Strength, Consistency, Specificity, and Temporality, key criteria also include Biological Gradient, Plausibility, Coherence, Experiment, and Analogy. These principles assist scientists in assessing the likelihood of causation in complex biological contexts. Below is a summary of these concepts:
656
Criteria for Causality: Bradford Hill Criteria - I01:30

Criteria for Causality: Bradford Hill Criteria - I

528
The Bradford Hill criteria are a group of principles that provide a framework to determine a causal relationship between a specific factor and a disease. There are nine criteria that are pivotal in assessing causality in epidemiological studies. Here's a closer look at Strength, Consistency, Specificity, and Temporality criteria with definitions and examples:
528
Dynamics of Circular Motion01:30

Dynamics of Circular Motion

13.8K
An object undergoing circular motion, like a race car, is accelerating because it is changing the direction of its velocity. This centrally directed acceleration is called centripetal acceleration. This acceleration acts along the radius of the curved path (thus is also referred to as radial acceleration).
Any acceleration must be produced by some force. Therefore, any force or combination of forces can cause centripetal acceleration. A few examples include the tension in the rope on a...
13.8K
Causality in Epidemiology01:21

Causality in Epidemiology

854
Causality or causation is a fundamental concept in epidemiology, vital for understanding the relationships between various factors and health outcomes. Despite its importance, there's no single, universally accepted definition of causality within the discipline. Drawing from a systematic review, causality in epidemiology encompasses several definitions, including production, necessary and sufficient, sufficient-component, counterfactual, and probabilistic models. Each has its strengths and...
854
Cause and Effect01:53

Cause and Effect

11.3K
While variables are sometimes correlated because one does cause the other, it could also be that some other factor, a confounding variable, is actually causing the systematic movement in our variables of interest. For instance, as sales in ice cream increase, so does the overall rate of crime. Is it possible that indulging in your favorite flavor of ice cream could send you on a crime spree? Or, after committing crime do you think you might decide to treat yourself to a cone?
11.3K
Cognitivism01:17

Cognitivism

1.7K
Cognitive psychology emerged as a significant field in the mid-20th century. It focused on understanding humans' internal mental processes. This approach emphasizes how people perceive, remember, think, and solve problems—elements critical to human cognition.
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process...
1.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A Neurocomputational Model of Observation-Based Decision Making with a Focus on Trust.

Brain sciences·2026
Same author

Computational modeling of attractor-based neural processes involved in the preparation of voluntary actions.

Cognitive neurodynamics·2024
Same author

Consciousness, decision making, and volition: freedom beyond chance and necessity.

Theory in biosciences = Theorie in den Biowissenschaften·2021
Same author

Computational modeling aids in linking structure, dynamics, and function of neural systems: A commentary on Wright, J.J., & Bourke, P.D. "The growth of cognition: Free energy minimization and the embryogenesis of cortical computation", Physics of Life Reviews.

Physics of life reviews·2020
Same author

Modeling effects of neural fluctuations and inter-scale interactions.

Chaos (Woodbury, N.Y.)·2018
Same author

A cortical network model of cognitive and emotional influences in human decision making.

Bio Systems·2015
Same journal

Recovery in gait and posture: a network-based approach to the assessment of rehabilitation effectiveness after spinal cord injury.

Frontiers in network physiology·2026
Same journal

Visual attention and postural stability among older adults participating in health-enhancing physical activity: a systematic review.

Frontiers in network physiology·2026
Same journal

Predictive modeling for cervical cancer: existing AI approaches and the emerging role of vaginal microbiome.

Frontiers in network physiology·2026
Same journal

From visibility graphs to cognition.

Frontiers in network physiology·2026
Same journal

Geometric pacing: external reference support as a principle of physiological stabilization in aging and pre-pathological states.

Frontiers in network physiology·2026
Same journal

Quantifying cognitive effort's impact on suppression of epilepsy-associated after discharges.

Frontiers in network physiology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 13, 2025

Virtual Hand with Ambiguous Movement between the Self and Other Origin: Sense of Ownership and 'Other-Produced' Agency
08:01

Virtual Hand with Ambiguous Movement between the Self and Other Origin: Sense of Ownership and 'Other-Produced' Agency

Published on: October 28, 2020

5.7K

Circular causality in volition.

Hans Liljenström1,2

  • 1Agora for Biosystems, Sigtuna Foundation, Sigtuna, Sweden.

Frontiers in Network Physiology
|July 31, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study explores downward causality in neuroscience, challenging the focus on upward causality. It suggests circular causality, not linear, governs volition and free will across neural, interregional, and environmental interactions.

Keywords:
EEGbrain dynamicsdownward causationfree willnetwork physiologyneural connectivityneurocomputational modelingsynergetics

More Related Videos

Real-Time Proxy-Control of Re-Parameterized Peripheral Signals using a Close-Loop Interface
11:54

Real-Time Proxy-Control of Re-Parameterized Peripheral Signals using a Close-Loop Interface

Published on: May 8, 2021

4.7K
Methods to Explore the Influence of Top-down Visual Processes on Motor Behavior
09:49

Methods to Explore the Influence of Top-down Visual Processes on Motor Behavior

Published on: April 16, 2014

26.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 13, 2025

Virtual Hand with Ambiguous Movement between the Self and Other Origin: Sense of Ownership and 'Other-Produced' Agency
08:01

Virtual Hand with Ambiguous Movement between the Self and Other Origin: Sense of Ownership and 'Other-Produced' Agency

Published on: October 28, 2020

5.7K
Real-Time Proxy-Control of Re-Parameterized Peripheral Signals using a Close-Loop Interface
11:54

Real-Time Proxy-Control of Re-Parameterized Peripheral Signals using a Close-Loop Interface

Published on: May 8, 2021

4.7K
Methods to Explore the Influence of Top-down Visual Processes on Motor Behavior
09:49

Methods to Explore the Influence of Top-down Visual Processes on Motor Behavior

Published on: April 16, 2014

26.1K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Philosophy of Mind
  • Computational Neuroscience

Background:

  • Conventional neuroscience emphasizes upward causality (e.g., neuronal activity driving cognition).
  • Mental phenomena are often presumed to lack causal influence on neural processes.
  • This overlooks the potential role of downward causality.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of downward causality in volition.
  • To examine the implications of circular causality for the free will debate.
  • To integrate neurocomputational modeling insights.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of causality at three organizational levels: neuronal, interregional, and environmental.
  • Exploration of circular causality models.
  • Review of neurocomputational modeling findings.

Main Results:

  • Evidence suggests circular causality, rather than linear, operates in volition.
  • Downward causality influences neural processes.
  • Interactions across multiple levels demonstrate reciprocal influence.

Conclusions:

  • Volition and free will may be better understood through circular causality.
  • Neuroscience needs to incorporate downward causality for a complete model.
  • Neurocomputational models offer valuable insights into these complex dynamics.