Near the self-other discrimination threshold, experience of goal-oriented movement increases the sensitivity of the sense of agency.

OBJECTIVES: The sense of agency (SoA) refers to the experience of controlling one's own motor actions and the external world through intention. According to the comparator model, SoA is generated when prediction signals from intended motor actions match the sensory feedback from actual outcomes, or when prediction errors are small. Previous work reported that SoA remained robust after short-term mismatch exposure, but in that study mismatches were far below individual detection thresholds and lacked external goals. This study examined whether the degree of sensorimotor mismatch in goal-directed movements influences SoA.

METHODS: Healthy participants were divided into two groups: a Low mismatch group (minimal mismatch) and a Moderate mismatch group (near-threshold mismatch). The experiment consisted of Pre, Exposure, and Post phases. In Pre and Post phases, participants performed a self-other discrimination task to set individual mismatch thresholds. In the Exposure phase, participants performed a target-reaching task. The Moderate mismatch group experienced three self-control levels: threshold, 10% below, and 10% above. The Low mismatch group experienced 80%, 90%, and 100% self-control conditions.

RESULTS: Exposure to near-threshold mismatches during goal-directed movement enhanced explicit SoA sensitivity.

CONCLUSIONS: Short-term experience of goal-directed movement near the self-other discrimination threshold may enhance explicit SoA sensitivity, providing a potential basis for interventions in sensorimotor mismatch contexts.