biostudies-literatureChristensen JFEconomic and Social Research CouncilEuropean Research CouncilAHRC Science in Culture1205-1212https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC6477810biostudies-literatureUnknown237(5)Two recent studies have demonstrated that increases in arousal states lead to an increase people's sense of agency, i.e., the subjective experience of controlling one's own voluntary actions (Minohara et al. in Front Psychol 7:1165, 2016; Wen et al. in Conscious Cogn 36:87-95, 2015). We here extend these findings by showing that arousal states with negative emotional valence, such as fear and anger, decrease sense of agency. Anger and fear are negative emotional states. Anecdotally, they are often invoked as reasons for losing control, and neuroscientific evidence confirms important effects on the brain's action control systems. Surprisingly, the subjective experience of acting in anger or fear has scarcely been investigated experimentally. Thus, the legal notion that these intense emotionExperimental brain researchI just lost it! Fear and anger reduce the sense of agency: a study using intentional binding.PMC6477810162746Advanced Grant (HUMVOL grant agreement 323943)Professorial FellowshipBeck BDi Costa SChristensen JFHaggard PfalseI just lost it! Fear and anger reduce the sense of agency: a study using intentional binding.Two recent studies have demonstrated that increases in arousal states lead to an increase people's sense of agency, i.e., the subjective experience of controlling one's own voluntary actions (Minohara et al. in Front Psychol 7:1165, 2016; Wen et al. in Conscious Cogn 36:87-95, 2015). We here extend these findings by showing that arousal states with negative emotional valence, such as fear and anger, decrease sense of agency. Anger and fear are negative emotional states. Anecdotally, they are often invoked as reasons for losing control, and neuroscientific evidence confirms important effects on the brain's action control systems. Surprisingly, the subjective experience of acting in anger or fear has scarcely been investigated experimentally. Thus, the legal notion that these intense emotion2019-01-01T00:00:00Z2019 May2025-04-18T22:59:16.345Z2019-06-06T23:07:15ZS-EPMC64778103082684710.1007/s00221-018-5461-6