When we feel that we are doing things: The pupil of the eye as a window to experiences of self-agency

Abstract

Previous research shows that people experience more self-agency when an outcome is in line with their goal, or with a subtly presented cue. The present study combined those findings by focusing on the effect of such subtle environmental cues on the experience of self-agency in goal-directed behavior. Participants had the goal to produce a certain color in a computer task containing no primes, goal-consistent primes and goal-inconsistent primes. They indicated whether they felt they were the cause of the outcome color or the computer was. Pupil dilation was used as a measurement of arousal resulting from inconsistencies between goals and primes, and primes and outcomes. Results showed people felt more self-agency when the outcome matched their goal; additional effects of primes were not found. Pupil dilation results did not indicate increased arousal of the sympathetic nervous system as a response to inconsistencies of goals and primes, or primes and outcomes.