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Ownership and agency modulate self-positivity effect: Behavioral and neural evidence
Ke-Chen Xu1, Zi-Yi Li1, Collins Opoku Antwi2
1School of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China; Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China.
Acta Psychologica
|April 21, 2026
Summary
Ownership and agency influence how we value objects, with ownership consistently increasing value. Agency matters most for owned items, impacting decisions in gain but not loss contexts.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- The self-positivity effect describes valuing self-related items more.
- The specific roles of ownership and agency in this effect are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the distinct and interactive effects of ownership and agency on the self-positivity effect.
- To explore how valence (positive/negative) modulates these effects.
- To examine the neural underpinnings using event-related potentials (ERPs).
Main Methods:
- Four behavioral studies (N=137) manipulated ownership and agency in an object evaluation task.
- An event-related potentials (ERP) study (N=30) recorded P300 amplitudes.
- Subjective value ratings and P300 data were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Ownership significantly enhanced object valuation.
- Agency influenced valuation only for self-owned objects.
- Both ownership and agency effects were modulated by the valence of the object.
- Combined self-ownership and self-agency led to enhanced P300 amplitudes, indicating prioritized neural processing.
- This neural pattern was observed in gain contexts but not in loss contexts.
Conclusions:
- Ownership and agency play distinct roles in the self-positivity effect.
- The interplay between ownership, agency, and valence shapes value assessment.
- Early neural processing (P300) reflects prioritized attention to self-relevant information, particularly in gain scenarios.
- Findings have implications for consumer behavior and risk-taking decisions.
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