During an experiment in which participants press a button whenever they have the urge to do so, when would you expect their motor cortices to become active?
A) After they press the button
B) Several minutes before they press the button
C) A few hundred milliseconds before they press the button
D) Never, because the motor cortex does not become active for routine behaviors

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The motor cortex is responsible for planning and executing voluntary movements. In this experiment, participants are instructed to press a button whenever they have the urge to do so, which means they are preparing to execute a voluntary movement. Studies have shown that the motor cortex becomes active a few hundred milliseconds before the actual movement is executed, indicating that it is involved in planning and initiating the movement. Therefore, we would expect the motor cortex to become active a few hundred milliseconds before the participant presses the button.

During an Experiment in Which Participants Press a Button Whenever