Automatic motor activation in the executive control of action
Jennifer M. McBridea b✉, Frédéric Boyc, Masud Husain Bb, Petroc Sumnerc
- aInstitute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Institute of Neurology, University College London London, UK
- bUCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
- cCardiff University, School of Psychology, Cardiff, United Kingdom
- ✉Corresponding author
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Abstract
Although executive control and automatic behavior have often been considered separate and distinct processes, there is strong emerging and convergent evidence that they may in fact be intricately interlinked. In this review, we draw together evidence showing that visual stimuli cause automatic and unconscious motor activation, and how this in turn has implications for executive control. We discuss object affordances, alien limb syndrome, the visual grasp reflex, subliminal priming, and subliminal triggering of attentional orienting. Consideration of these findings suggests automatic motor activation might form an intrinsic part of all behavior, rather than being categorically different from voluntary actions.
TL;DREvidence showing that visual stimuli cause automatic and unconscious motor activation is drawn together, suggesting automatic motor activation might form an intrinsic part of all behavior, rather than being categorically different from voluntary actions. (Semantic Scholar)