INTRODUCTION
This post is drafted as a by-product of research into Nash Rogers Equanimity - A new model for EQ and IQ. (examining Agency and Complexity) We are examining People, Perception, Place, Process, Purpose, Performance. Subject to research for publication soon.
WHAT IS SELF-AGENCY?
At its core, self-agency is the belief that we are in control of our own actions and, by extension, the outcomes of those actions. It is the sense of personal control or influence over one's own thoughts, actions, and behaviors - the understanding that we are the authors of our lives.
Notably, Benjamin Libet was the pioneer in this area of research. His studies indicated that brain activity predicts an action before one even has conscious awareness of their intention to act upon that action, suggesting that the sense of self-agency may emerge from subconscious processes 1.
COMPONENTS OF SELF-AGENCY
According to Daniel Wegner, there are three key criteria of self-agency: priority, exclusivity, and consistency 2.
Priority: It implies that the thought or intention precedes the action. It means the idea to perform a particular action must come before the action itself.
Exclusivity: This suggests that the thought or intention must be the only apparent cause of the action. There shouldn't be any other noticeable factors influencing the action.
Consistency: The final criterion is consistency between the thought or intention and the action. There should be a coherent match between what we think and what we do.
Additionally, elements such as Mastery, Autonomy, and Challenge from the FLOW and SCARF models seem to be interconnected with self-agency 3.
MEASURING SELF-AGENCY
Given the complexity and subtlety of self-agency, creating a reliable measurement is a complex task. Here is a suggested questionnaire designed to evaluate a person's sense of self-agency, utilizing a Likert scale from -3 (Strongly Disagree) to +3 (Strongly Agree):
I feel I have control over my actions.
My intentions are reflected in my actions.
I take ownership of my actions and their consequences.
I feel that my thoughts lead to my actions.
There is no external influence dictating my actions.
I am confident about my ability to handle challenges.
I feel autonomous in my decisions.
I have the ability to master tasks that I take up.
My actions are consistent with my beliefs and values.
RESEARCH AND MODELS ON SELF-AGENCY
A multitude of studies have delved into the fascinating subject of self-agency. As mentioned, Libet's work is foundational in this area 1. Wegner further developed the concept with his criteria for self-agency 2.
Engbert, Wohlschläger, and Haggard in 2008 conducted research that provides additional data suggesting the complex nature of self-agency 4.
The FLOW model, developed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, and the SCARF model by David Rock, although not directly targeting self-agency, offer significant insights into factors that can influence our sense of personal control 3.
CONCLUSION
Understanding self-agency can empower us to take more effective control of our lives, by aligning our actions more closely with our intentions and beliefs. Research into this area continues, offering increasingly rich insights into this foundational aspect of human psychology.
Citations
Footnotes
Libet, B. (1985). Unconscious cerebral initiative and the role of conscious will in voluntary action. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 8(4), 529-539.
Wegner, D. M. (2002). The Illusion of Conscious Will. MIT Press.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York: Harper & Row. Rock, D. (2008). SCARF: a brain-based model for collaborating with and influencing others. NeuroLeadership Journal, (1), 44-52.
Engbert, K., Wohlschläger, A., & Haggard, P. (2008). Who is causing what? The sense of agency is relational and efferent-triggered. Cognition, 107(2), 693-704.
#SelfAgency #PersonalControl #Psychology #MentalHealth #Empowerment #PersonalDevelopment #MindfulLiving #SelfImprovement #SelfAwareness #MindBrainConnection
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