A bstract In two experiments movement-related cortical potentials preceding voluntary movement were recorded. In experiment 1, subjects performed four motor tasks in volving joystick movements. The four tasks differed in complexity (single vs sequential movements) and in the mode of movement selection, i.e., whether a movement or movement sequence was made in fixed or in self-deter mined directions. The choice of these tasks was based, firstly, on previous electrophysiological studies suggesting an effect of task-complexity on the amplitude of the readi ness potential (RP) and, secondly, on previous positron emission tomography (PET) studies showing that activity of the supplementary motor area' (SMA) is influenced by the mode of movement selection. The results show that, for single movements, RP amplitude is higher preceding freely selected movements than preceding movements in a fixed direction. In experiment 2 this effect was replicated using button presses instead of joystick movements. The results converge with PET evidence obtained in similar tasks and establish that the RP is modulated by the mode of movement selection. This modulation is probably relat ed to differential involvement of the SMA.