Prediction and Consequence of Self-oriented Action and Sense of Self-agency

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to examine the mechanism that produced sense of self-agency, and investigate the role of learning in it. Sense of self-agency is the sense that “I am the one who is causing or generating an action.” According to the forward model, sense of self-agency arises when predicted sensory feedback is coherent with actual sensory feedback. In the present study, participants pressed a key and a tone was generated. Consistent with the forward model, results showed that sense of self-agency was not the same as perception of delay. As learning progressed, sense of self-agency became stronger, but perception of delay showed no change. This indicated that the learning affected not actual but predicted sensory feedback, and consequently sense of self-agency changed. The results of the present study supported the forward model, and showed that learning could affect sense of self-agency.View full abstract