Free to See the Big Picture: Autonomy Increases Abstractness of Action Identification

Koerner, Anita and Goetz, Felix J. and Krishna, Anand (2023) Free to See the Big Picture: Autonomy Increases Abstractness of Action Identification. COLLABRA-PSYCHOLOGY, 9 (1): 88165. ISSN 2474-7394,

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Abstract

People sometimes feel autonomous-free to choose and able to control their actions; at other times, they feel restricted in what they can do and what the outcome will be. Based on Action Identification Theory, the present work examines whether autonomy influences how abstractly actions are represented. In 6 studies, high (vs. low) autonomy increased abstractness of action identification. Participants selected more abstract (vs. concrete) redescriptions of actions when they imagined wanting (vs. having) to perform these actions (Experiments 1a-1b), when autonomy was varied via situation descriptions (Experiments 2a-2b), via memory content (Experiment 3), and in an ecological setting (Study 4). Finding that high (vs. low) autonomy increased abstractness of action identification constitutes an extension of Action Identification Theory to incorporate social determinants.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: INTRINSIC MOTIVATION; SELF-DETERMINATION; IMPLICIT SENSE; CHOICE; POWER; THINK; FEASIBILITY; COMPETENCE; EFFICACY; PEOPLE; action identification; abstractness; autonomy; action control; self-determination
Subjects: 100 Philosophy & psychology > 150 Psychology
Divisions: Human Sciences > Institut für Psychologie > Lehrstuhl für Psychologie II (Allgemeine und Angewandte Psychologie) - Prof. Dr. Gesine Dreisbach
Depositing User: Dr. Gernot Deinzer
Date Deposited: 14 Mar 2024 14:11
Last Modified: 14 Mar 2024 14:11
URI: https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/60125

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