Examining the effect of Libet clock stimulus parameters on temporal binding.

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Psychology

Background:

• Temporal binding, the subjective shortening of time between an action and its outcome, serves as a key implicit measure of the sense of agency.
• The Libet clock paradigm is a common method for assessing temporal binding, but its sensitivity to stimulus parameters is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how variations in clock speed, number of clock markings, and clock hand length impact the temporal binding effect.
• To determine the optimal parameters for the Libet clock stimulus in measuring the sense of agency.

Main Methods:

• Five experiments were conducted using a modified Libet clock stimulus.
• Participants' temporal binding was measured across different clock speeds, numbers of markings, and hand lengths.

Main Results:

• The magnitude of temporal binding significantly increased with faster clock speeds.
• Variations in the number of clock markings and the length of the clock hand did not produce significant changes in temporal binding.

Conclusions:

• Clock speed is a critical parameter influencing the temporal binding effect.
• Future research on sense of agency using the Libet clock should carefully consider clock speed adjustments.