The Experience of Deciding: An Electroencephalography Study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Philosophy of Mind

Background:

• The degree of free will and responsibility is linked to our awareness of action-influencing factors.
• Prior research compared decision awareness onset with preceding brain activity, suggesting potential unawareness of some influences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the contents of awareness at the reported time of decision.
• To explore the relationship between neural signals and subjective experiences of decision-making and imagination.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of electroencephalography (EEG) signals preceding voluntary and imagined movements.
• Correlation of EEG signals with self-reported clarity, vividness, and felt activity of decision-making and imagination.

Main Results:

• Neural signals preceding spontaneous actions correlate with the reported clarity and vividness of the decision experience.
• EEG signals before imagined movements relate to the reported felt activity during imagination.

Conclusions:

• Neural signals associated with spontaneous actions reflect aspects the agent is at least partly aware of.
• Subjective experiences of decision-making and imagination have measurable neural correlates.