Interdisciplinary studies of decision-making and motor planning

大脑是如何对行为做出决定的？经典理论认为，我们首先处理感官信息，以建立对世界的内部表征，然后决定要做什么，最后计划并执行所选择的行动。然而，最近的神经和行为数据提出了一个不同的假设。他们认为，当我们看世界时，大脑的某些部分会自动处理感官信息，以并行地指定当前可能的几种行为。然后，这些动作的神经表征相互竞争，直到出现赢家并被执行。这种竞争受到来自高级认知区域的信息的影响，但它发生在感觉运动系统本身。换句话说，行为是世界呈现给我们的需求和行动机会之间的一场持续的战斗。

How does the brain make decisions about actions? Classical theories suggest that we first process sensory information to build an internal representation of the world, then decide on what to do, and finally plan and execute the selected action. However, recent neural and behavioral data suggest a different hypothesis. They suggest that as we look at the world, parts of our brain automatically process the sensory information to specify, in parallel, several actions that are currently possible. Neural representations of these actions then compete against each other until a winner emerges and is executed. This competition is biased by information from higher cognitive regions, but it takes place within the sensorimotor system itself. In other words, behavior is a constant battle between the demands and opportunities for action which the world presents to us.