Electroencephalographic (EEG) activity during the preshot period was invest
igated in seven skilled marksmen. Specifically, alpha and beta spectral pow
er were obtained for the 4-s period prior to the execution or rejection of
shots. Rejected shots were defined as those that resulted in the marksman's
self-initiated decision to withdraw their rifle from the target rather tha
n execute the shot. EEG activity during the preparatory period was contrast
ed between the executed and rejected shots to better understand the involve
d attentional processes associated with the preshot state. Results for reje
cted compared with executed shots revealed a progressive increase in alpha
and beta power for rejected compared with executed shots, which increased a
cross the preparatory period. Furthermore, increased spectral power was fou
nd in the left compared with the right hemisphere for both executed and rej
ected shots, and in the different regions of the scalp. Therefore, the deci
sion to reject a shot seems to be characterized by inappropriate allocation
of the neural resources associated with task execution. (C) 2000 Published
by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.