Investigating the sense of agency and its relation to subclinical traits using a novel task

Penton, Tegan, Wang, Xingquan, Catmur, Caroline and Bird, Geoffrey (2022) Investigating the sense of agency and its relation to subclinical traits using a novel task. Experimental Brain Research, 240 (5). 1399 – 1410. ISSN 0014-4819

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Abstract

Tasks measuring the sense of agency often manipulate the predictability of action outcomes by introducing spatial deviation. However, the extent to which spatial predictability of an outcome influences the sense of agency when spatial deviation is controlled for remains untested. We used a novel task to investigate the effect of several factors (action–outcome contingency, spatial deviation, and spatial predictability when controlling for spatial deviation of action outcomes) on the sense of agency. We also investigated trait predictors of metacognition of agency—the degree to which participants’ confidence in their agency judgements corresponds to the accuracy of those judgements. Initial and replication samples completed contingency, deviation, and predictability versions of the task. Across samples, participants’ sense of agency was impacted by action–outcome contingency and spatial deviation of action outcomes. Manipulation of the spatial predictability of action outcomes did not reliably impact the sense of agency. Metacognition of agency was related to alexithymic traits—higher alexithymia scores were associated with reduced metacognition of agency.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	https://www.springer.com/journal/221
Additional Information:	© 2022 The Authors
Divisions:	Management
Subjects:	R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Date Deposited:	26 Apr 2022 11:06
Last Modified:	12 Dec 2024 02:58
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/114955

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