Intrusive Thinking : From Molecules to Free Will

An exploration of the neurological and behavioral mechanisms and processes involved in intrusive thinking.On any given day, unintended, recurrent thoughts intrude on our thinking and affect our behavior in ways that can be adaptive. Such thoughts, however, become intrusive and problematic when they are unwanted, become compulsive, or lead to socially or medically unacceptable behavior. This volume explores what goes on in our brains to create thought intrusions, and how these intrusions lead to maladaptive behavior.Intrusive thoughts feature prominently in most psychiatric disorders, so understanding the neurological and behavioral processes underlying them is an urgent endeavor. To investigate these issues, contributors from a range of disciplines—including neuroscience, psychiatry, psychology, and pharmacology—consider the mechanisms involved in intrusive thoughts under normal and abnormal conditions. They analyze how decision making becomes corrupted to create uncontrollable intrusions, explore the implications for concepts of free will and individual responsibility, and suggest avenues for future research.ContributorsMichael C. Anderson, Adam Aron, David Badre, Bernard W. T.Balleine, Marie Banich, Anya K. Bershad, Antonello Bonci, Michael B. Bonsall,Katheen T. Brady, Judson Brewer, Michael R. Bruchas, David M. Buss, Aurelio Cortese, Hugo D. Critchley, Damiaan Denys, Harriet de Wit, Lisa Espinosa, John R. Fedota, Shelly B. Flagel, Aikaterina Fotopoulou, Sophia Frangou, Karl Friston, Rita Z. Goldstein, Shannon L. Gourley, Suzanne N. Haber, Colleen A. Hanlon, Andreas Heinz, Emily A. Holmes, Quentin J. M, Huys, Peter W. Kalivas, Laura Kress, Hakwan Lau, Kayuet Liu, Tiago V. Maia, Lisa M. McTeague, Amy L. Milton, Marie Hélène Monfils, Martin P. Paulus, Paul E. M. Phillips, Marina R. Picciotto, Trevor W. Robbins, Angels C. Roberts, Daniela Schiller, Daniela, Florian Schlagenhauf, Jonathan W. Schooler, Jens V. Schwarzbach, Jeremy K. Seamans, Laura Singh, Eliot A. Stein, Peter Tse, Renée M. Visser, Martin Voss