The concept of ownership (and ownership over space) contains aspects of self-identity and self-relevance. As with minimal representations of the self, ownership and territory seem to be privileged within cognitive processing. However, the social and legal rules associated with use of objects and space also contribute substantially to an individual’s concept of ownership and territory. Thus, the rules of use associated with ownership and territory may also influence cognitive processing, action planning and action execution. In this talk, I will discuss the cognitive effects of ownership and territory within the context of the social environment in which they occur. I will also present new work that illustrates how expertise shapes the processing of ownership and territory.