Authors
Sara Jahfari
Publication date
2014
Institution
Universiteit van Amsterdam [Host]
Description
At the core of this dissertation lies the question of how different regions in our brain collaborate (as a network, or system) to initiate or withdraw controlled actions. But what is action control? To give an example, I repeatedly had to control and suppress the urge to go outside and enjoy a drink with friends on a sunny terrace, in order to pursue the more deliberate goal of finishing my dissertation. On some days, this goal was easily reached when the rain outside was uninviting and the motivation to nail this thesis flooded my thoughts. Unfortunately, on other days, I failed dramatically as the sun outside repeatedly hit my retina and incoming text invitations drained my motivation to stay inside and keep writing. Fortunately, even on the days that I satisfied the urge to go outside and enjoy the sun, I could still be cautious and restrain my behavior by leaving early or drinking less. When doing so, I was strategically adapting my behavior for a fresh writing marathon the next day. Additionally, when the dissertation was progressing slowly, I was sometimes compelled to help suppress my automatic urges proactively by closing the curtains, or turning off my phone. This example illustrates how behavior unfolds in the adaptation or suppression of automatic responses to pursue more deliberate and goal-oriented action plans (ie, write and finish dissertation).