ERP correlates of agency processing in joint action

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Social Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• The Ouija board phenomenon highlights how a lack of perceived agency can lead to supernatural attributions.
• Understanding the sense of agency is crucial for explaining human behavior in shared activities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the neural and cognitive mechanisms underlying the sense of agency in a joint action context.
• To differentiate agency experiences in solo versus joint actions using a Ouija board paradigm.

Main Methods:

• Two players (participant and confederate) manipulated a Ouija board planchette connected to a wireless mouse, controlling a digital board.
• Electroencephalography (EEG) was used to record neural activity, specifically N1, Tb, and P2 components.
• Participants rated their sense of agency across different conditions: complete self-control, confederate control, and two joint control conditions.

Main Results:

• A greater sense of agency was reported in the 'self' condition, and the least in the 'other' condition.
• Neural activity (early N1, Tb, and P2 components) showed differentiation between solo and joint action conditions, and between passive and active control.
• While the N1 peak amplitude was similar, its early phase distinguished between joint and solo actions.

Conclusions:

• Neural mechanisms, particularly involving motor-prediction and attentional processes, contribute to the sense of agency in joint actions.
• The findings provide insights into how agency is modulated by the degree of control within shared activities.
• This research helps explain phenomena like the Ouija board effect by examining the underlying cognitive and neural processes.