Unconscious priming of conscious will: Subliminal action effects modulate experienced agency and control

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Goschke ◽  
Katrin Linser
Keyword(s):  
Action Effects ◽  
And Control ◽  
Conscious Will

Flexible weighting of body-related effects in action production

2020 ◽  
Vol 73 (9) ◽  
pp. 1360-1367
Author(s):  
Guillaume Thébault ◽  
Roland Pfister ◽  
Arthur-Henri Michalland ◽  
Denis Brouillet
Keyword(s):  
Action Planning ◽  
Tactile Feedback ◽  
Common Mechanism ◽  
Action Representation ◽  
Loud Tone ◽  
Integration Process ◽  
Action Effects ◽  
Planning And Control ◽  
And Control ◽  
Weak Influence

A previous study on ideomotor action control showed that predictable action effects in the agent’s environment influenced how an action is carried out. If participants were required to perform a forceful keypress, they exerted more force when these actions would produce a quiet compared to a loud tone, and this observation suggests that anticipated proprioceptive and auditory action effects are integrated with each other during action planning and control. In light of the typically weak influence of body-related effect found in recent work, we aimed to extend this pattern of results to the intra-modal case of integrating proprioceptive/tactile feedback of a movement and following vibro-tactile effects. Our results suggest that the same weighted integration process as for the cross-modal case applies to the intra-modal case. These observations support the idea of a common mechanism which binds all action-related features in an integrated action representation, irrespective of whether these features relate to exafferent or reafferent signals.

Unconscious cerebral initiative and the role of conscious will in voluntary action

1985 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 529-539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Libet
Keyword(s):  
Motor Performance ◽  
Motor Output ◽  
Voluntary Action ◽  
Final Decision ◽  
The Unconscious ◽  
Readiness Potentials ◽  
And Control ◽  
Conscious Intention ◽  
Conscious Will

AbstractVoluntary acts are preceded by electrophysiological “readiness potentials” (RPs). With spontaneous acts involving no preplanning, the main negative RP shift begins at about—550 ms. Such RPs were used to indicate the minimum onset times for the cerebral activity that precedes a fully endogenous voluntary act. The time of conscious intention to act was obtained from the subject's recall of the spatial clock position of a revolving spot at the time of his initial awareness of intending or wanting to move (W). W occurred at about—200 ms. Control experiments, in which a skin stimulus was timed (S), helped evaluate each subject's error in reporting the clock times for awareness of any perceived event.For spontaneous voluntary acts, RP onset preceded the uncorrected Ws by about 350 ms and the Ws corrected for S by about 400 ms. The direction of this difference was consistent and significant throughout, regardless of which of several measures of RP onset or W were used. It was concluded that cerebral initiation of a spontaneous voluntary act begins unconsciously. However, it was found that the final decision to act could still be consciously controlled during the 150 ms or so remaining after the specific conscious intention appears. Subjects can in fact “veto” motor performance during a 100–200-ms period before a prearranged time to act.The role of conscious will would be not to initiate a specific voluntary act but rather to select and control volitional outcome. It is proposed that conscious will can function in a permissive fashion, either to permit or to prevent the motor implementation of the intention to act that arises unconsciously. Alternatively, there may be the need for a conscious activation or triggering, without which the final motor output would not follow the unconscious cerebral initiating and preparatory processes.

Goal-Directed Actions

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernhard Hommel
Keyword(s):  
Human Action ◽  
Personal Agency ◽  
Motor Patterns ◽  
Action Effects ◽  
Intentional Actions ◽  
Conscious Processes ◽  
And Control ◽  
Goal Directed Behavior ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Future Effect

Personal causation relies on translating goals into goal-directed behavior. This chapter addresses how humans generate a goal-directed behavior, that is, how they initiate and control intentional, goal-directed actions. In particular, it discusses how anticipated action effects are integrated with motor patterns, so to guide future effect-driven actions, and how action intentions struggle with overlearned habits. It argues that intentional and conscious processes typically precede, rather than accompany, intentional actions, and that the experience of personal agency and the identification of action errors are based on a comparison between expected and actual action effects. A final outlook addresses the implications of increasing insight into cognitive embodiment and of increasing interdisciplinarity for the study of human action control and personal causation.

Control of Metal Alloy Oxidation with Electric Fields

1973 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 164-165
Author(s):  
R. R. Dils ◽  
P. S. Follansbee
Keyword(s):  
Electric Fields ◽  
Oxidation Process ◽  
Base Alloy ◽  
Oxide Surface ◽  
Platinum Electrodes ◽  
Insulating Layer ◽  
Iron Base Alloy ◽  
Alloy Oxidation ◽  
Aluminum Oxide Layer ◽  
And Control

Electric fields have been applied across oxides growing on a high temperature alloy and control of the oxidation of the material has been demonstrated. At present, three-fold increases in the oxidation rate have been measured in accelerating fields and the oxidation process has been completely stopped in a retarding field.The experiments have been conducted with an iron-base alloy, Pe 25Cr 5A1 0.1Y, although, in principle, any alloy capable of forming an adherent aluminum oxide layer during oxidation can be used. A specimen is polished and oxidized to produce a thin, uniform insulating layer on one surface. Three platinum electrodes are sputtered on the oxide surface and the specimen is reoxidized.

Evidence for a Blood Ganglion Barrier in the Superior Cervical Ganglion of the Rat

1982 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
pp. 204-204
Author(s):  
D. M. DePace
Keyword(s):  
Blood Vessels ◽  
Superior Cervical Ganglion ◽  
Peripheral Nerves ◽  
Time Schedule ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Cervical Ganglion ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Cervical Ganglia ◽  
Capillary Circulation ◽  
And Control

The majority of blood vessels in the superior cervical ganglion possess a continuous endothelium with tight junctions. These same features have been associated with the blood brain barrier of the central nervous system and peripheral nerves. These vessels may perform a barrier function between the capillary circulation and the superior cervical ganglion. The permeability of the blood vessels in the superior cervical ganglion of the rat was tested by intravenous injection of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Three experimental groups of four animals each were given intravenous HRP (Sigma Type II) in a dosage of.08 to.15 mg/gm body weight in.5 ml of.85% saline. The animals were sacrificed at five, ten or 15 minutes following administration of the tracer. Superior cervical ganglia were quickly removed and fixed by immersion in 2.5% glutaraldehyde in Sorenson's.1M phosphate buffer, pH 7.4. Three control animals received,5ml of saline without HRP. These were sacrificed on the same time schedule. Tissues from experimental and control animals were reacted for peroxidase activity and then processed for routine transmission electron microscopy.

Effects of renovascular hypertension on rat adrenal zona glomerulosa

1978 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 582-583
Author(s):  
G. Mazzocchi ◽  
P. Rebuffat ◽  
C. Robba ◽  
P. Vassanelli ◽  
G. G. Nussdorfer
Keyword(s):  
Renovascular Hypertension ◽  
Left Kidney ◽  
Renin Angiotensin System ◽  
Plasma Renin ◽  
Zona Glomerulosa ◽  
Ultrastructural Changes ◽  
Albino Rats ◽  
Left Renal Artery ◽  
Angiotensin System ◽  
And Control

It is well known that the rat adrenal zona glomerulosa steroidogenic activity is controlled by the renin-angiotensin system. The ultrastructural changes in the rat zona glomerulosa cells induced by renovascular hypertension were described previously, but as far as we are aware no correlated biochemical and morphometric investigations were performed.Twenty adult male albino rats were divided into 2 experimental groups. One group was subjected to restriction of blood flow to the left kidney by the application of a silver clip about the left renal artery. The other group was sham-operated and served as a control. Renovascular hypertension developed in about 10 days: sistolic blood pressure averaged 165 ± 6. 4 mmHg, whereas it was about 110 ± 3. 8 mmHg in the control animals. The hypertensive and control rats were sacrificed 20 days after the operation. The blood was collected and plasma renin activity was determined by radioimmunological methods. The aldosterone concentration was radioimmunologically assayed both in the plasma and in the homogenate of the left capsular adrenal gland.

X-Ray Replication of Submicrometer Linewidth Patterns

1977 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 136-137
Author(s):  
Henry I. Smith ◽  
D.C. Flanders
Keyword(s):  
Electron Beam Lithography ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Electron Backscattering ◽  
Spatial Frequencies ◽  
Cross Sectional Profile ◽  
Carbon Foils ◽  
Sectional Profile ◽  
And Control ◽  
Soft Radiation

Scanning electron beam lithography has been used for a number of years to write submicrometer linewidth patterns in radiation sensitive films (resist films) on substrates. On semi-infinite substrates, electron backscattering severely limits the exposure latitude and control of cross-sectional profile for patterns having fundamental spatial frequencies below about 4000 Å(l),Recently, STEM'S have been used to write patterns with linewidths below 100 Å. To avoid the detrimental effects of electron backscattering however, the substrates had to be carbon foils about 100 Å thick (2,3). X-ray lithography using the very soft radiation in the range 10 - 50 Å avoids the problem of backscattering and thus permits one to replicate on semi-infinite substrates patterns with linewidths of the order of 1000 Å and less, and in addition provides means for controlling cross-sectional profiles. X-radiation in the range 4-10 Å on the other hand is appropriate for replicating patterns in the linewidth range above about 3000 Å, and thus is most appropriate for microelectronic applications (4 - 6).

Ultrastructural changes in sciatic nerve tissue: Effects of passive maternal smoking

1983 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
pp. 650-651
Author(s):  
Amankwah K.S. ◽  
A.D. Weberg ◽  
R.C. Kaufmann
Keyword(s):  
Sciatic Nerve ◽  
Maternal Smoking ◽  
Ultrastructural Level ◽  
Uranyl Acetate ◽  
Nerve Tissue ◽  
Ultrastructural Changes ◽  
Cacodylate Buffer ◽  
And Control ◽  
Spontaneous Delivery

Previous research has revealed that passive (involuntary inhalation) tobacco smoking during gestation can have adverse effects upon the developing fetus. These prior investigations did not concentrate on changes in fetal morphology. This study was undertaken to delineate fetal neural abnormalities at the ultrastructural level in mice pups exposed in utero to passive maternal smoking.Pregnant study animals, housed in a special chamber, were subjected to cigarette smoke daily from conception until delivery. Blood tests for determination of carbon monoxide levels were run at 15-18 days gestation. Sciatic nerve tissue from experimental and control animals were obtained following spontaneous delivery and fixed in 2.5% gluteraldehyde in 0.1M cacodylate buffer pH 7.3. The samples were post-fixed in osmium ferrocyanide (1:1 mixture of 1.5% aqueous OSO4 and 2.5% K4 Fe(CN)6). Following dehydration, the tissues were infiltrated with and embedded in Spurr. Sections were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate.

A Superconducting Microscope

1971 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 10-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. Worsham ◽  
J. E. Mann ◽  
E. G. Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Helium ◽  
Focal Length ◽  
Vacuum System ◽  
Objective Lens ◽  
Electrical Instability ◽  
Radiation Shields ◽  
And Control ◽  
Thermal Oscillations ◽  
Flux Pump

This superconducting microscope, Figure 1, was first operated in May, 1970. The column, which started life as a Siemens Elmiskop I, was modified by removing the objective and intermediate lenses, the specimen chamber, and the complete vacuum system. The large cryostat contains the objective lens and stage. They are attached to the bottom of the 7-liter helium vessel and are surrounded by two vapor-cooled radiation shields.In the initial operational period 5-mm and 2-mm focal length objective lens pole pieces were used giving magnification up to 45000X. Without a stigmator and precision ground pole pieces, a resolution of about 50-100Å was achieved. The boil-off rate of the liquid helium was reduced to 0.2-0.3ℓ/hour after elimination of thermal oscillations in the cryostat. The calculated boil-off was 0.2ℓ/hour. No effect caused by mechanical or electrical instability was found. Both 4.2°K and 1.7-1.9°K operation were routine. Flux pump excitation and control of the lens were quite smooth, simple, and, apparently highly stable. Alignment of the objective lens proved quite awkward, however, with the long-thin epoxy glass posts used for supporting the lens.

Morphogenesis of a New Human Herpes-Type Virus Isolate (Sasha Virus)

1973 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 592-593
Author(s):  
R. F. Zeigel ◽  
W. Munyon
Keyword(s):  
Virus Isolate ◽  
Calf Serum ◽  
Uranyl Acetate ◽  
Human Herpes ◽  
Human Embryonic Lung ◽  
Human Herpes Virus ◽  
Intracytoplasmic Inclusions ◽  
Hel Cells ◽  
And Control

In continuing studies on the role of viruses in biochemical transformation, Dr. Munyon has succeeded in isolating a highly infectious human herpes virus. Fluids of buccal pustular lesions from Sasha Munyon (10 mo. old) uiere introduced into monolayer sheets of human embryonic lung (HEL) cell cultures propagated in Eagles’ medium containing 5% calf serum. After 18 hours the cells exhibited a dramatic C.P.E. (intranuclear vacuoles, peripheral patching of chromatin, intracytoplasmic inclusions). Control HEL cells failed to reflect similar changes. Infected and control HEL cells were scraped from plastic flasks at 18 hrs. of incubation and centrifuged at 1200 × g for 15 min. Resultant cell packs uiere fixed in Dalton's chrome osmium, and post-fixed in aqueous uranyl acetate. Figure 1 illustrates typical hexagonal herpes-type nucleocapsids within the intranuclear virogenic regions. The nucleocapsids are approximately 100 nm in diameter. Nuclear membrane “translocation” (budding) uias observed.

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