Just Do It: A Neuropsychological Theory of Agency, Cognition, Mood, and Dopamine

Agency is the sense that one has control over one's own actions and the consequences of those actions. Despite the critical role that agency plays in the human condition, little is known about its neural basis. A novel theory proposes that increases in agency disinhibit the dopamine system and thereby increase the number of tonically active dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area. The theory, called ADDS (Agency Disinhibits the Dopamine System), proposes a specific neural network that mediates these effects. ADDS accurately predicts a variety of relevant neuroscience results, and makes many novel predictions, including that increases in an agency will (a) increase motivation, (b) improve executive function, (c) facilitate procedural learning, but only in the presence of immediate trial-by-trial feedback, (d) have little or no effect on learning-related effects of stimulus repetition or on standard eyeblink conditioning, (e) facilitate the development of automatic behaviors, but have little or no effect on the production of behaviors that are already automatized, (f) amplify the cognitive benefits of positive mood, and (g) reduce pain. The implications of this new theory are considered for several purely psychological theories that assign prominent roles to agency, including self-efficacy theory, hope theory, and goal-focused positive psychotherapy. Public Significance Statement Agency is the sense that one has control over one's own actions and the consequences of those actions. A strong sense of agency is critical for optimal performance and mental health. Despite the important role that agency plays in the human condition, little is known about how the brain responds to changes in agency. We propose a novel theory, which predicts that increases in agency increase baseline levels of dopamine throughout the brain and amplify the brain's dopamine response to salient environmental events. The theory describes possible pathways for improving human performance and mental health.