How prison shapes inmates' sense of agency and outcome processing

Prison is a common punishment, yet it hinders the successful reintegration of ex-inmates into society. This study investigates whether coercive and restrictive prison settings alter inmates’ sense of agency (SoA) – the feeling of control over one’s voluntary actions – and the sensory processing of action outcomes (outcome processing). Using behavioral and electroencephalographical methods, we investigated the effects of different prison settings, each imposing distinct levels of coercion, on SoA and outcome processing in inmates, compared to free controls. Participants could inflict financial pain on a co-participant to increase their gain, either freely or following the experimenter’s orders. Compared to controls, inmates exhibited reduced SoA when freely deciding their actions but exhibited greater SoA when obeying orders. Outcome processing was preserved in inmates in open prisons, suggesting that less coercive settings may be associated with preserved outcome processing. These findings offer insights into how prison may be associated with changes in cognitive processes linked to social behavior during incarceration.