4 ms·

The article clearly means ten seconds. It's not clear from the experiment whether all decisions are made ten seconds earlier, or just decisions similar to the

by jcl 18y ago

The article clearly means ten seconds. It's not clear from the experiment whether all decisions are made ten seconds earlier, or just decisions similar to the ones in the experiment (which was a conscious, non-urgent, non-reflex-based decision). But if it turns out to apply to all decisions, it means the "split-second" decisions you make while driving are a function of trained response and what your brain was doing many seconds before you saw the problem... which implies that the amount of conscious choice you have in the matter is much more limited than what your brain is telling you. It's a bit surprising and scary.

gruseom 18y ago
"split-second" decisions ... are a function of ... what your brain was doing many seconds before you saw the problem This reminds me of the famous finding by Benjamin Libet that the brain retroactively adjusts its experience (by about a half second) to make responses feel closer to the events that they're responding to. That is, there's a half-second lag that we simply don't perceive. Of course, 0.5s is a lot less than 10s, but still a long time. The experiment was thought to have implications about free will (or the lack thereof) because it demonstrated brain responses originating before the conscious experience of making a decision. Very similar to this recent experiment. If anybody here can offer a more accurate summary of what Libet found, I'd be interested.
noonespecial 18y ago
I guess what I'm getting at (and perhaps driving is a bad example) is that I can make decisions (in a non-reflexive way) based on data that I've been aware of for less than 10 seconds. How could I have decided something 10 seconds ago based on what I've only known for 5? Another example. I get on an elevator, see my doctor is on the 5th floor, and press the 5th floor button. This takes about 7 seconds. How could I have decided to go to the fifth floor 10 seconds ago? Hell, I decide what to get at burger king in less than 10 seconds after looking at the menu-board.
- jcl 18y ago
  What the experiment implies (assuming it applies to a broader range of decisions than just those in the experiment) is that the act of getting on the elevator, reading the names, and pushing the correct button is mostly done on unconscious autopilot following the conscious decision to go to your doctor's, despite the illusion that you are consciously reasoning about each step. Likewise, Burger King purchases are unlikely to require conscious thought: you probably already knew what you were in the mood for when you entered the Burger King, and you certainly had a good idea what was on the menu before seeing it. Matching your known desires with the available choices (also largely known) was an automated process that didn't involve a conscious decision.

by jcl 18y ago

gruseom 18y ago

"split-second" decisions ... are a function of ... what your brain was doing many seconds before you saw the problem This reminds me of the famous finding by Benjamin Libet that the brain retroactively adjusts its experience (by about a half second) to make responses feel closer to the events that they're responding to. That is, there's a half-second lag that we simply don't perceive. Of course, 0.5s is a lot less than 10s, but still a long time. The experiment was thought to have implications about free will (or the lack thereof) because it demonstrated brain responses originating before the conscious experience of making a decision. Very similar to this recent experiment. If anybody here can offer a more accurate summary of what Libet found, I'd be interested.

noonespecial 18y ago

I guess what I'm getting at (and perhaps driving is a bad example) is that I can make decisions (in a non-reflexive way) based on data that I've been aware of for less than 10 seconds. How could I have decided something 10 seconds ago based on what I've only known for 5? Another example. I get on an elevator, see my doctor is on the 5th floor, and press the 5th floor button. This takes about 7 seconds. How could I have decided to go to the fifth floor 10 seconds ago? Hell, I decide what to get at burger king in less than 10 seconds after looking at the menu-board.

jcl 18y ago
What the experiment implies (assuming it applies to a broader range of decisions than just those in the experiment) is that the act of getting on the elevator, reading the names, and pushing the correct button is mostly done on unconscious autopilot following the conscious decision to go to your doctor's, despite the illusion that you are consciously reasoning about each step. Likewise, Burger King purchases are unlikely to require conscious thought: you probably already knew what you were in the mood for when you entered the Burger King, and you certainly had a good idea what was on the menu before seeing it. Matching your known desires with the available choices (also largely known) was an automated process that didn't involve a conscious decision.