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Quantifying the Sense Agency: A Forced Choice Paradigm for Assessing Intentional Binding During Upper Limb Movements

IEEE ... International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics : [proceedings] +

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July 11, 2025

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July 11, 2025

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study developed a new method to measure the sense of agency, specifically intentional binding (IB), during whole-limb movements. This high-resolution approach has implications for designing better assistive and rehabilitative robotic devices.

Area Of Science

  • Neuroscience
  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Robotics

Background

  • Sense of agency is the feeling of controlling one's actions.
  • Intentional binding (IB) quantifies agency by measuring perceived time compression between action and outcome.
  • Existing IB research primarily uses simple actions, limiting applicability to complex movements.

Purpose Of The Study

  • To develop and validate a high-resolution method for assessing intentional binding (IB) during gross whole-limb movements.
  • To adapt IB measurement for contexts relevant to assistive and rehabilitative robotics.
  • To explore a novel forced two-choice discrimination paradigm for IB assessment.

Main Methods

  • A target acquisition task involving whole upper limb movements was designed.
  • Participants used a Kinarm robotic system to perform active and passive movements.
  • A forced two-choice discrimination paradigm assessed perceived time intervals between auditory tones and movements, with varying time delays.

Main Results

  • A novel, high-resolution method for measuring IB in whole-limb movements was successfully developed and validated.
  • Psychometric curves provided precise estimates of IB biases, with a median bias of -36.2ms.
  • A new analytical dimension, the slope of IB experiences, was introduced.

Conclusions

  • The developed method offers a high-resolution assessment of intentional binding during complex limb movements.
  • Findings have significant implications for the design and evaluation of assistive and rehabilitative robotic devices.
  • This approach enhances the understanding of agency perception in more ecologically valid movement scenarios.