Problem 9

Question 1

Readiness potential (RP)

Answer 1

Refers to a scalp-recorded slow negative shift in electrical potential
generated by the brain

–> this begins up to a second or more before a voluntary motor act

Question 2

When is an act regarded as voluntary ?

Answer 2

When

1. it arises endogenously + not in direct response to an external stimulus
2. there are no externally imposed restrictions that control the action
3. one feels introspectively that one performs the act on ones own initiative

Question 3

What were the participants of the Libet study instructed to do?

Answer 3

1. Perform a prescribed motor act at some time after the start of each trial
2. Pay close introspective attention to the onset of the urge to perform the act

BUT: should not plan the act but be “spontaneous”

Question 4

What did the results of the Libet stud yield ?

Answer 4

The “physical” precedes the “mental”

–> the cerebral process precedes the conscious intention

Question 5

What did Libet conclude based on the evidence ?

Answer 5

Voluntary acts can be initiated by unconscious cerebral processes before the conscious intention appears/occurs

–> so the brain decides to prepare the act before there is any reportable subjective awareness of the decision

Question 6

Conscious volitional control

Answer 6

Operates to select + control volitional process

–> NOT to initiate it

Question 7

Motor Potential

MP

Answer 7

Refers to an action potential that is elicited by the stimulation of a motor muscle

–> generated at about 50ms before the muscle EMG

THUS: there remains a fraction where conscious control could block the onset of MP

Question 8

What did Soon try to investigate ?

Answer 8

They wanted to directly investigate

1. which brain regions predetermine conscious intention
2. the time at which brain regions start shaping the motor decision

Question 9

Freely paced motor-decision task

Soon

Answer 9

Involved

1. Fixating the centre of the green where a stream of letters was presented
2. Choose to press one of 2 buttons + remembering the present letter
3. After a response mapping screen appears, a second button should be pressed to choose the letter

–> a pattern-based decoder is used for analysis

Question 10

Pattern-based decoders

Answer 10

Are trained to predict the specific outcome of a subjects motor intention

–> recognizes characteristic local brain patterns associated with each motor choice

Question 11

Which brain regions encode the outcome during the execution phase ?

Answer 11

M1 and SMA

Question 12

Which brain regions encode whether one is about to choose left or right prior to the conscious decision ?
(Soon)

Answer 12

1. Frontopolar cortex
   - -> first cortical stage at which the actual decision is made
2. Parietal cortex
   - -> prenuceus is involved in the storage of the decision until it reaches awareness

Question 13

What did the results of the Soon study yield?

Answer 13

The outcome of a decision can be encoded in the brain activity of the PFC + Parietal cortex up to 10s before it enters awareness

Question 14

What is the basic argument of moral responsibility of our actions?

Answer 14

We cannot try be morally responsible for out actions because,

1. Nothing can be cause sui ( because of itself)

2.

Question 15

Responses against the basic argument

Answer 15

1. Compatibilists
   - -> one can be morally responsible even if determinism is true
2. Libertarian
3. No-name option

Question 16

Compatibilists

Answer 16

One is responsible as long as the actions are not caused by a certain se of constraints

e.g. OCD, threat

Question 17

Name the problem associated with the compatibilists view.

Answer 17

It fails to amount for any sort of true moral responsibility

Question 18

Libertarian view

Answer 18

Can be divided into 2 segments

1. Incompatibilists
   - -> belief that freedom + moral responsibility are incompatible with determinism
2. Libertarians
   - -> we are free + morally responsible agents, therefore determinism is wrong

Question 19

Name the problems associated withe the Libertarian view.

Answer 19

1. How can falsity of determinism help?
2. How can occurrence of partly random/indeterministic events contribute in any way to one’s being truly morally responsible for one’s actions/character?
3. Moral responsibility depends on the falsity of determinism but determinism isn’t falsifiable

Question 20

No name option

Answer 20

Accepts that one cannot ultimately be held responsible for ones personality no matter whether determinism is true or false

BUT: one can still truly be responsible for ones decisions + actions because ones self is independent of ones CPM

Question 21

Name the problem associated with the no-name option view.

Answer 21

Whatever the self decides is because of the way one is.

–> thus the self must be responsible for the way it is in order for the objection to hold

Question 22

Determinism

Answer 22

Refers to a doctrine that all events are ultimately determined by causes that are regarded as external to the will

e.g. human action