This research investigated how high and low agency subconsciously primed representations influence the interpretation of dynamic objects/events in space (Study 1) and time (Study 2). In Study 1, participants primed with the high agency concept were more inclined to think of objects in space as moving upwards, as if the event was provided with an internal force (much like what happens with living things), while participants who were primed with the low agency concept were more inclined to think of objects in space as moving downwards, as if the event was subject to an external force (much like what happens with gravity). Participants in Study 2, primed with the high agency concept were induced to think of themselves as if they were moving actively through time, in line with the egomoving metaphor, while subjected prime with the low agency concept were induced to think of themselves as if they were less active in their movement through time, in line with the time-moving metaphor. These results were compared with those of our previous research, which used the same subconscious priming, but with different tasks.
Keywords: Agency, space and time, priming, back/forward.