title: Sense of agency, associative learning, and schizotypy.
abstract: Despite the fact that the role of learning is recognised in empirical and theoretical work on sense of agency (SoA), the nature of this learning has, rather surprisingly, received little attention. In the present study we consider the contribution of associative mechanisms to SoA. SoA can be measured quantitatively as a temporal linkage between voluntary actions and their external effects. Using an outcome blocking procedure, it was shown that training action-outcome associations under conditions of increased surprise augmented this temporal linkage. Moreover, these effects of surprise were correlated with schizotypy scores, suggesting that individual differences in higher level experiences are related to associative learning and to its impact on SoA. These results are discussed in terms of models of SoA, and our understanding of disrupted SoA in certain disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Brain Mapping Unit, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge, United Kingdom. jm697@cam.ac.uk
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dickinson
authors.forename: Paul C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Fletcher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001245:Association Learning; D001364:Awareness; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009949:Orientation; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012569:Schizotypal Personality Disorder / Q000523:psychology*