The influence of depersonalization on the sense of agency and time perception
authors
keywords
- Depersonalization Agency Intentional binding Voluntary actions
document type
COMMabstract
Depersonalization (DP) is a condition characterized by feelings of detachment from the self, and associated with an altered experience of time, a core aspect of the sense of agency (SoA). SoA is characterized by the feeling of controlling one’s own actions and it can be measured by the compression of the perception of time (i.e., temporal binding) between a voluntary action and its sensory outcomes (i.e., intentional binding). Despite growing research interests in understanding DP, its association with SoA remains unexplored. The present study investigated the influence of DP on time perception with implicit and explicit measures of SoA. Participants from a French population were pre-screened using the Cambridge Depersonalization Scale (CDS) and a questionnaire measuring altered experiences of body awareness, proximal space and time. Participants (N = 115) were divided in HIGH (CDS score > 50) and LOW (CDS score < 20) DP and completed an intentional binding task measuring implicit and explicit SoA. The results did not reveal any differences in overall implicit and explicit SoA between the two groups. However, the HIGH DP group displayed more time-sensitive markers of SoA, suggesting an association of DP experiences with altered time perception, especially in the absence of intentional movement, stressing the role of self-initiated motion in DP symptoms. Finally, exploratory analyses revealed group differences in the subjective experiences of body awareness, proximal space and time. Altogether, these results pave the way for exploring the role of time perception, embodiment and motion in DP.
