Control and consequence: the interplay of agency and affective processing during goal-directed behavior

Giersiepen, Maren (2026): Control and consequence: the interplay of agency and affective processing during goal-directed behavior. Dissertation, LMU München: Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (GSN)

Abstract

The sense of agency describes the subjective experience of controlling our actions and their effects on the environment, constituting a core facet of the human self. By distinguishing between events within and outside our control, it supports goal-directed behavior, enabling us to pursue desirable outcomes and avoid negative ones. While previous research has emphasized sensory and cognitive determinants, relatively little work has examined the sense of agency in the context of goal-directed behavior, where actions are fundamentally related to the processing of affective information. This doctoral thesis addressed this gap, using behavioral and neurophysiological methods to investigate the interplay between the sense of agency and affective processes during goal-directed action. Across three studies, it examined how agency shapes the processing of affective information and how, in turn, outcome value influences the experience of agency. In Study 1 (Chapter 2.1), electroencephalography revealed that choice autonomy enhances midfrontal low-frequency oscillations in response to both positive and negative instrumental feedback, indicating a valence-independent boost in outcome processing under a high sense of agency. Study 2 (Chapter 2.2) confirmed this enhancement and indicated that it was driven by the intrinsic value of self-determined action rather than the instrumental value of outcomes. While the effect of choice on early outcome processing was unaffected by valence, later stages revealed valence-specific biases. Complementary agency ratings across Studies 1 and 2 further indicated that participants were sensitive to varying degrees of control over distinct task components. Study 3 (Chapter 2.3) investigated how outcome value influences self-reported sense of agency in a continuous motor control task. Results showed that affective feedback and sensorimotor noise additively influenced agency experience, with lower ratings for negative than positive outcomes. Consistent with a negativity bias, negative outcomes had a stronger impact on agency experience than positive ones. Between-subject comparisons further revealed that individual differences in the locus of control and depressive symptoms modulated the influence of task-specific agency cues. In summary, these studies highlight the relevance of affective information in the emergence of agency experience during goal-directed action. The findings demonstrate a reciprocal interplay between the sense of agency and affective processing. Choice-induced enhancements in the neural processing of affective outcomes emphasize the importance of agency in tracking the consequences of our actions and may reflect neurophysiological mechanisms through which agency experience supports adaptive behavior and learning from performance feedback. Conversely, the results support a multifaceted account of the sense of agency, shaped not only by low-level sensorimotor and high-level cognitive processes but also by affective information. Together, these findings advance our understanding of the determinants of agency and suggest neurophysiological mechanisms that may underlie its contribution to goal-directed behavior.

• Dokumententyp: Dissertationen (Dissertation, LMU München)
• Themengebiete: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik ; 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik > 570 Biowissenschaften, Biologie
• Fakultäten: Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (GSN)
• Sprache der Hochschulschrift: Englisch
• Datum der mündlichen Prüfung: 9. Januar 2026
• 1. Bericht­erstatter:in: Schütz-Bosbach, Simone