In our everyday lives, we often feel a sense of control—or lack thereof—over the decisions we make and their outcomes. But what exactly shapes this feeling? Is it just about getting what we want, or does it have more to do with how and why we make those decisions? These are the questions that drive the research of Mustafa Yavuz, a social cognitive neuroscientist at Mi3, part of the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
Mustafa is co-lead author of a study recently published in the journal Cognition – the paper delves deep into the concept of the “sense of agency”—the feeling that we are in control of our actions and their consequences. Here, Mustafa talks about what inspired this research, the experiments behind it—including a clever “black box” twist—and why understanding our sense of control matters in everyday life.
Mi3: Hi Mustafa! Let’s start with the big picture—what inspired this research?
Mustafa: The inspiration came from a simple, yet profound question: why do we sometimes feel more in control of our lives and decisions, even if the outcome is uncertain? It struck me that this sense of control isn’t just about the result—it’s about the reasons behind our choices. I wanted to explore how the rationality of our decisions affects our sense of agency, the feeling that “I’m the one driving this.”
Mi3: You mention “rationality” a lot in your study. For those of us without a neuroscience background, how do you define rationality in this context?
Mustafa: Rationality, in our study, has three layers. First, it’s about making decisions based on clear differences in value between options—like choosing a four-dollar prize over a one-dollar one. Second, it involves choosing options that maximise what we call “expected utility,” which is basically the most likely reward. Finally, it’s about acknowledging missed opportunities—those “what could have been” moments. These three dimensions helped us dig into how people think and feel about their decisions.
Mi3: I love the idea of missed opportunities! Your study even used a “black box” in an experiment to explore this. Can you walk us through what that was about?
Mustafa: Sure! We created a decision-making game where participants had to pick one of two options—like selecting a coloured ball. In some trials, we added a twist: a “black box” that might hold extra, unseen options. After participants made their choice, we revealed whether they missed out on these hidden opportunities. We found that just knowing there could’ve been better options made people feel less in control. It’s like that feeling of ordering something at a restaurant and realising later that the special sounded amazing!
Mi3: That sounds like a mental tug-of-war! But this was more than just a behavioural study—you used brain recordings too. What did the brain activity reveal?
Mustafa: Yes, we used EEG to track brain responses. When participants made decisions, were shown their outcome and discovered missed opportunities, certain brain signals were observed. For instance, when choosing between clear options, their EEG response was less intense than when faced with identical, so-called boring options. And when they realised they’d missed a hidden opportunity, another EEG marker called the Late Positive Component (LPC) became more pronounced. These patterns helped confirm that our sense of control is deeply tied to how we process and evaluate choices.
Mi3: Amazing! Lastly, why should this matter to someone reading this over their morning coffee?
Mustafa: Well, think about it this way: every day, we make countless decisions—some big, some small. Understanding how our sense of control works could help us make better choices, feel more satisfied with them, and even deal with regret. Whether it’s deciding on a career move or what to eat for lunch, the way we frame our options and recognize the rationality behind them really shapes how empowered we feel.
Mi3: Thanks so much, Mustafa. You’ve definitely given us a lot to chew on.
Mustafa: My pleasure!
Check out the original study and Mustafa Yavuz’s profile.
References:
Yavuz M., Bonicalzi S., Schmitz L., Battich L., Esmaily J., Deroy O. (2025). Rational choices elicit stronger sense of agency in brain and behavior. Cognition, 106062, doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2025.106062