Modern research in cognitive neuroscience aims to understand the persistent human experience of selfhood. In extension to this, recent research proposed a fundamental difference between homeostatic...Show moreModern research in cognitive neuroscience aims to understand the persistent human experience of selfhood. In extension to this, recent research proposed a fundamental difference between homeostatic regulation and goal-directed behaviour. Our approach suggests that these two may be prone to the very same learning principles of action-effect learning, and therefore share a cognitive overlap. This study investigated this overlap by applying action-effect learning to pupillometric data. The design consisted of three phases, during which subjects looked at a LED screen whilst the eye tracker collected data. In the first phase, an average pupil size of subjects was established in three different light conditions (neutral, high and low luminance). In the second phase pupillometric adjustment to high and low luminance was paired to two different tones, establishing action-effect bindings. In the third phase, these tones were presented again to the subject, to check whether they still made corresponding pupil adjustments. 53 healthy adults completed the experiment. Results indicate no significant difference in pupillometric adjustment between the two sounds presented in the last phase. Although these results present no evidence for a cognitive overlap between goal-directed behaviour and homeostasis, conclusions should be drawn with caution. Potential factors of noise in the pupillometric data are discussed, along with recommendations for future research. Finally, we argue that the design of this study could be applied to a younger group of subjects, as these are more likely to achieve cognitive control over homeostasis.Show less
