Ownership and agency modulate self-positivity effect
Behavioral and neural evidence
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21284047 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ke-chen Xu (Zhejiang Normal University), Zi-yi Li (Zhejiang Normal University), Collins Opoku Antwi (0000-0001-6359-4668, Zhejiang Normal University), Adjei Peter Darko (0000-0003-1621-4209, Zhejiang Normal University), Jun Ren (0000-0002-8056-9058, Zhejiang Normal University, corresponding author), Chun-sheng Wang (Zhejiang Normal University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 266 |
| Pages | 106889 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Acta Psychologica (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0001-6918 • E-ISSN: 1873-6297 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.106889 |
| PMID | 42013757 |
| OpenAlex | W7154909623 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 56 |
In value assessment, the self-positivity effect refers to the tendency to assign higher value to self-related objects. However, the distinct and interactive contributions of ownership and agency to this effect remain unclear. Across four behavioral studies (total N = 137) and an event-related potentials (ERP) study (N = 30), we manipulated ownership and agency using an object evaluation paradigm while recording subjective value ratings and P300 amplitudes. Results showed that ownership enhanced valuation, whereas agency influenced valuation only when the object was already self-owned, with the direction of both effects modulated by valence. The combination of self-ownership and self-agency elicited enhanced P300 amplitudes, reflecting prioritized processing of self-relevant information at early neural stages-a pattern present in gain contexts but absent in loss contexts. These findings clarify the distinct roles of ownership and agency in shaping the self-positivity effect in value assessment, with implications for understanding consumer behavior and risk decision-making
Agency (philosophy) · Perception · Perspective (graphical) · Poison control · Sense of agency · Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion · Free Will and Agency · Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
Toward a Theory of Psychological Ownership in Organizations
Updating P300
Philosophical conceptions of the self
Event-Related Potentials, Emotion, and Emotion Regulation
The Theory of Cognitive Dissonance
Sense of agency in the human brain
G*Power 3
Eeglab
Visual attention bias for self-made artworks
Accentuate the positive
Individual Differences in Self-Enhancement and Self-Protection Strategies
Beyond the Mere Ownership and Endowment Effects
Choice-induced tasting. Evaluating the effect of choice on children's acceptance of an unfamiliar vegetable
Owning leads to valuing
Choice changes preferences, not merely reflects them
P300 as an index of attention to self-relevant stimuli
When possessions become part of the self
I like it, because I like myself
Impact of ownership on liking and value
On the social nature of nonsocial perception
Unrealistic optimism about future life events
The illusion of control
Mere Ownership Effect Is Equally Pronounced in Material and Immaterial Objects
Optimistic bias in young adults for cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases
Anomalies
Postdecision changes in the desirability of alternatives
| Highly cited | No |
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