A Sense of Free Will: the consciousness quagmire (Introduction)

by David Turell , Sunday, September 20, 2015, 14:59 (3352 days ago) @ dhw

A group of psychologists try to mathematically use quantum equations to understand human decision-making:-http://phys.org/news/2015-09-youre-irrational-quantum-probabilistic-human.html-"'I think the mathematical formalism provided by quantum theory is consistent with what we feel intuitively as psychologists. Quantum theory may not be intuitive at all when it is used to describe the behaviors of a particle, but actually is quite intuitive when it is used to describe our typically uncertain and ambiguous minds."-"She used the example of Schrödinger's cat—the thought experiment in which a cat inside a box has some probability of being alive or dead. Both possibilities have potential in our minds. In that sense, the cat has a potential to become dead or alive at the same time. The effect is called quantum superposition. When we open the box, both possibilities are no longer superimposed, and the cat must be either alive or dead.-"With quantum cognition, it's as if each decision we make is our own unique Schrödinger's cat.-"As we mull over our options, we envision them in our mind's eye. For a time, all the options co-exist with different degrees of potential that we will choose them: That's superposition. Then, when we zero in on our preferred option, the other options cease to exist for us.-"The task of modeling this process mathematically is difficult in part because each possible outcome adds dimensions to the equation. For instance, a Republican who is trying to decide among the candidates for U.S. president in 2016 is currently confronting a high-dimensional problem with almost 20 candidates. Open-ended questions, such as "How do you feel?" have even more possible outcomes and more dimensions.-"With the classical approach to psychology, the answers might not make sense, and researchers have to construct new mathematical axioms to explain behavior in that particular instance. The result: There are many classical psychological models, some of which are in conflict, and none of which apply to every situation.-Comment: I'm very simple. I equate free will with freedom of intentionality as my mind works. And I must be conscious to do that choosing. I can't make choices when unconscious or sleeping. Dreams then become an interesting factor in the discussion.