Audiomotor temporal recalibration modulates feeling of control: Exploration through an online experiment and Bayesian modeling.

Abstract

This online experiment aimed to replicate Sugano's (2021) findings on how exposure to delayed auditory feedback affects feeling of control (agency). Participants first adapted by repeatedly reproducing a sequence of seven, eight or nine tones on a single trial basis while receiving either immediate (10 ms) or delayed (110 ms) auditory feedback on their keypresses. This exposure aimed to recalibrate their timing perception. Following adaptation, they reproduced the sequence again. However, the computer would assume control of the tone pips starting with the fourth pip from the participants with 50 % probability, presenting them at a fixed interval (the average of the first three participant-initiated tones). Participants judged either whether their keypresses caused the tones (agency judgment: AJ) or if the tones felt synchronized with their keypresses (simultaneity judgment: SJ). Analyses revealed similar shifts in both judgments after exposure to delay, however, the AJ exhibited a greater shift compared to the SJ. In addition, the shift reflects a change in bias, not in sensitivity. The result aligns with Sugano's (2021) in-person study, suggesting online experiments can effectively explore agency.