| Popis: |
ObjectiveWhile agency detection has been used to explain religious phenomena, it is unclear what neurocognitive mechanism underlies it. The original theories assumed that humans are equipped with an agency detection module triggered by the feeling of threat. The recent predictive processing-based view, on the other hand, does not predict that threat increases agency detection. So far, studies on the feeling of threat and agency detection have yielded inconclusive evidence. The present study aims to (re)test the hypothesis that the feeling of threat increases agency detection, providing evidence regarding the underlying mechanism.Methods219 participants will explore an agentless, foggy virtual forest, instructed to press a button whenever they perceive an agent. While all participants will expect a stable number of agents, the feeling of threat will be manipulated via semantic priming, with agents introduced as either hostile or neutral. The level of fear-related arousal will be further measured using a heart rate belt and an anxiety scale.ResultsTo test our hypotheses, we will conduct linear regressions with moderation and mediation. In case of null results, a test of equivalence will be performed.DiscussionOur results will constrain the theoretical space in the field of agency detection. While finding no difference in agency detection between groups would not contradict the predictive approach, positive results would indicate that a threat-related agency detection bias is still worthy of discussion. In this section, we will discuss what our findings mean for a better understanding of agency detection and religious studies. |
