Sense of agency and decision making

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Decision Science
• Behavioral Economics

Background:

• Agency, the sense of control over actions and outcomes, is linked to dopamine system modulation.
• The Agency Disinhibits the Dopamine System (ADDS) theory posits agency increases tonic dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area.
• ADDS successfully explains existing neuroscience and behavioral findings.

Purpose of the Study:

• Extend the ADDS theory to encompass decision-making processes.
• Derive novel predictions on how agency influences decision-making components.
• Provide a neurobiological framework for understanding agency's role in choice behavior.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical extension of the ADDS model.
• Derivation of predictions regarding value assessment, risk-taking, and temporal discounting.
• Review of existing empirical evidence supporting the derived predictions.

Main Results:

• ADDS predicts increased agency elevates the value of positive outcomes but minimally affects negative outcomes.
• Increased agency is predicted to enhance risk-taking behavior.
• Agency is predicted to reduce temporal discounting, with exceptions for high endogenous dopamine levels.

Conclusions:

• The extended ADDS model offers testable predictions for how agency impacts decision-making.
• Existing evidence supports the predictions regarding outcome valuation, risk-taking, and temporal discounting.
• Further empirical research is necessary to rigorously validate these predictions.