Effects of Negative Body Cognition on Sense of Body Ownership and Association with Depersonalization Tendencies

Abstract

The sense of body ownership has been explored through the full-body illusion (FBI). People with depersonalization tendencies, who struggle with feeling a sense of body ownership, were less likely to experience FBI when cognizing a fake body as their own. Negative cognition of one's own body is thought to decrease the sense of body ownership in depersonalization cases, but this has not been confirmed. In this study, we investigated the effects of negative body cognition on sense of body ownership and its relation to depersonalization tendencies. As a result, there was no evidence that negative cognition affects the sense of body ownership. However, participants with higher depersonalization tendencies experienced a greater forward shift in their center of gravity when presented with visual and tactile stimuli asynchronously while having negative cognitions. This response may suggest an attempt to regain a sense of body ownership in a depersonalization-like situation.