An electrophysiological study of the insertion of overt response choice

J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform. 2000 Jun;26(3):1053-71. doi: 10.1037//0096-1523.26.3.1053.

Abstract

Using electrophysiological measures, the authors studied changes in prestimulus state, stimulus identification, and response-related processing when, in a go/no-go task, forced choice between 2 overt go responses was inserted. The authors observed decreased prestimulus motor preparation (electromyogram), no change in stimulus identification time (selection negativity), a minor increase in response selection time (lateralized readiness potential), a large increase in response preparation time (lateralized readiness potential), a minor effect on response execution time (electromyogram), and a decrease in the activation of a response-inhibition process on no-go trials (frontal event-related potential). The existence of the response-inhibition process was verified by the presence of inverted lateralized readiness potentials on no-go trials. Pure insertion of response choice in a task seems impossible because the choice between activation and inhibition (go/no-go) always seems already present.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Choice Behavior / physiology*
  • Electromyography / methods
  • Evoked Potentials / physiology
  • Female
  • Fixation, Ocular
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Occipital Lobe / physiology
  • Psychophysics / methods
  • Random Allocation
  • Reaction Time
  • Temporal Lobe / physiology
  • Visual Perception / physiology*