Cognitive and neural components of the phenomenology of agency.
Ezequiel Morsella, Christopher C. Berger, Stepehen C Krieger
Neurocase September 9, 2010 DOI: 10.1080/13554794.2010.504727 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Brain Humans Self efficacy Cognition Consciousness Perception Executive function Conflict, psychological |
| Key points | Argues that the sense of agency can be unraveled by studying its low-level components, such as basic consciousness and subjective urges, without invoking high-level conceptual or 'central executive' processes. Reports that a quantitative review showed conflicts between action plans reliably engender fundamental aspects of the phenomenology of agency and of 'something countering the will of the self'. |
Abstract
A primary aspect of the self is the sense of agency – the sense that one is causing an action. In the spirit of recent reductionistic approaches to other complex, multifaceted phenomena (e.g., working memory; cf. Johnson &Johnson, 2009), we attempt to unravel the sense of agency by investigating its most basic components, without invoking high-level conceptual or 'central executive' processes. After considering the high-level components of agency, we examine the cognitive and neural underpinnings of its low-level components, which include basic consciousness and subjective urges (e.g., the urge to breathe when holding one's breath). Regarding urges, a quantitative review revealed that certain inter-representational dynamics (conflicts between action plans, as when holding one's breath) reliably engender fundamental aspects both of the phenomenology of agency and of 'something countering the will of the self'. The neural correlates of such dynamics, for both primordial urges (e.g., air hunger) and urges elicited in laboratory interference tasks, are entertained. In addition, we discuss the implications of this unique perspective for the study of disorders involving agency.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on philosophy of mind, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychosis as a state of aberrant salience: a framework linking biology, phenomenology, and pharmacology in schizophrenia. | 2003 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From dopamine to salience to psychosis--linking biology, pharmacology and phenomenology of psychosis. | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How do the brain's time and space mediate consciousness and its different dimensions? Temporo-spatial theory of consciousness (TTC). | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The phenomenology of deep brain stimulation-induced changes in OCD: an enactive affordance-based model. | 2013 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Looking for the Self: Phenomenology, Neurophysiology and Philosophical Significance of Drug-induced Ego Dissolution | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- The olfactory system as the gateway to the neural correlates of consciousness Frontiers in Psychology 2014
- Obsessive-compulsive symptoms and dissociative experiences: Suggested underlying mechanisms and implications for science and practice Frontiers in Psychology March 22, 2023
- Passive frame theory: A new synthesis Behavioral and Brain Sciences 2016
- I’m thinking your thoughts while I sleep: Sense of agency and ownership over dream thought. Psychology of Consciousness Theory Research and Practice September 1, 2015
- Working memory and consciousness: Ánfora July 5, 2022
and 2 more in the library
Cites 12
- On a confusion about a function of consciousness Behavioral and Brain Sciences June 1, 1995
- The Illusion of Conscious Will The MIT Press September 20, 2018
- The essence of conscious conflict: subjective effects of sustaining incompatible intentions. Emotion October 1, 2009
- Minimal neuroanatomy for a conscious brain: homing in on the networks constituting consciousness. Neural Networks August 20, 2009
- Rhythms of consciousness: binocular rivalry reveals large-scale oscillatory network dynamics mediating visual perception. PLoS One July 3, 2009
and 7 more in the library