The goal of the proposed research is to better understand the processes that create the feeling of intending an act. The proposed experiments attempt to test the theory that the conscious feeling of intention may be epiphenomenal; that is, that it occurs prior to but is not causally related to an act. The model proposes that this feeling of intention can be reproduced experimentally given a set of conditions that mimic the cognitive events associated with a natural self-generated action. This set of conditions is predicted to include the experience of a preview for an impending action. It is predicted that this preview must occur prior to the act and be consistent with the act. It is also necessary that the person's intent appears to be the exclusive cause of the action. The results of this research should have several implications for mental health. Specifically, a greater understanding of the processes underlying the normal impression of personal agency and intention would offer predictive utility for when that sense of agency and intention are absent (e.g., schizophrenia, automatisms).
