Week 4: The brain, free will, and the law Flashcards
(31 cards)
What is Free Will in the context of neuroscience?
Free Will is the ability to choose between different possible courses of action, to act when you choose, and to do so unimpeded. It explores whether we have control over our actions and to what extent. Neuroscience has investigated this through the study of brain activity related to decision-making.
What is the mind-body problem?
The mind-body problem explores how non-physical aspects of the mind like free will, consciousness, and memory might interact with the physical structures of the brain.
What is the “Readiness Potential” and how is it measured?
The Readiness Potential is a pre-movement build-up of electrical potential in the front of the brain. It is measured using scalp EEG.
Who conducted a landmark experiment on Free Will in the 1980s?
Neurologist Benjamin Libet.
What was the primary purpose of Libet’s study from 1983?
To explore the causal relationship between brain activity, conscious intention or ‘urge’ to move, and action.
What are some clinical disorders mentioned that have implications for our understanding of free will?
Tourette syndrome, alien hand syndrome, and schizophrenia.
How is free will linked to the legal system?
Traditionally, only actions that are freely-willed are seen as deserving credit or blame. Acting without conscious intention generally exempts one from liability in criminal law.
What is the Supplementary Motor Area (SMA)?
The SMA is a part of the primary cerebral cortex that contributes to the control of movement. It is located on the midline surface of the hemisphere, just in front of the primary motor cortex.
What kind of activity does the Readiness Potential reflect?
It reflects causal and subconscious neuronal planning and preparation for movement.
How did Libet measure the time of conscious intention in his experiments?
Libet used a special clock with a rapidly rotating dot, known as a ‘Libet clock’, to determine when subjects felt the intention or urge to move.
Which area of the brain is closely associated with the Readiness Potential?
The Readiness Potential is closely associated with the Supplementary Motor Area (SMA).
Complete the sentence: Libet’s results showed that the unconscious brain activity leading up to a subject’s movement began approximately ___ before the subject was aware of their own conscious intention to move.
Half a second.
What role does the Supplementary Motor Area (SMA) play in movement control?
The SMA contributes to the control of movements that are internally generated rather than triggered by external sensory events and also controls sequences of movements.
Complete the sentence: The RP is measured using ___ and is recorded from frontal electrodes manded over motor areas of the brain.
Scalp EEG.
What method did Libet use to measure the time of conscious intention in his subjects?
Libet used a special clock with a rapidly rotating dot, known as a ‘Libet clock,’ to determine when subjects felt the intention or urge to move.
What is the position of social psychologist Daniel Wegner regarding free will?
Daniel Wegner argued that brain events cause intention and action, whereas conscious intention itself may not cause action.
What is the controversy surrounding Libet’s findings?
The controversy is that Libet’s findings seem to argue against the notion of free will, suggesting that both our conscious will and subsequent actions are caused by prior neural activity.
What is the key challenge in the research and experimental work on the topic of free will?
A key challenge is that unambiguous tests of introspective access are difficult to achieve.
What did a 1991 study by Fried and colleagues find regarding the experience of an ‘urge’ to move?
The study found that electrical stimulation of the supplementary motor area elicited limb movements and also a preliminary sensation or ‘urge to move’ in patients with intractable epilepsy.
What is Tourette syndrome?
It is a neural developmental disorder characterized by involuntary or semi-voluntary movements and utterances known as ‘tics.’
Explain Alien Hand Syndrome.
In this syndrome, the affected individual feels that one of their hands has its own will, showing observable involuntary movements. This can result from damage to the corpus callosum.
How do schizophrenia patients experience free will?
Patients with schizophrenia may experience delusions of their limbs being controlled by an external force or presence.
What do ‘mens rea’ and ‘actus reus’ mean in the context of criminal law?
‘Mens rea’ refers to ‘guilty mind’ or conscious intention, and ‘actus reus’ refers to ‘guilty act’ or the physical action of committing a crime.
“Mind & Act: Mens Rea Thinks, Actus Reus Does!”
What is the current understanding of how self-initiated behavior and free will are encoded in the human brain?
The understanding remains elusive and poorly understood but is considered critical for how human societies and cultures operate.
