Temporal experience modifies future thoughts: Manipulation of Libet'sWinfluences difficulty assessment during a decisionmaking task

Abstract

Past studies have employed the subjective experience of decision time (Libet's W) as an index of consciousness, marking the moment at which the agent first becomes aware of a decision. In the current study, we examined whether the temporal experience ofWaffects subsequent experience related to the action. Specifically, we tested whetherWinfluenced the perception of difficulty in a decision-making task, hypothesizing that temporal awareness ofWmight influence the sense of difficulty. Consistent with our predictions, whenWwas perceived as early or late, participants subsequently rated the decision difficulty to be easy or difficult, respectively (Exp.1). Further investigation showed that perceived difficulty, however, did not influenceW(Exp.2). Together, our findings suggest a unidirectional relationship such thatWplays a role in the metacognition of difficulty evaluation. The results imply that subjective temporal experience of decision time modifies the consequential sense of difficulty.