Metacognitive judgements of perceptual-motor steering performance

Control of skilled actions requires rapid information sampling and processing, which may largely be carried out subconsciously. However, individuals often need to make conscious strategic decisions that ideally would be based upon accurate knowledge of performance. Here, we determined the extent to which individuals have explicit awareness of their steering performance (conceptualised as “metacognition”). Participants steered in a virtual environment along a bending road while attempting to keep within a central demarcated target zone. Task demands were altered by manipulating locomotor speed (fast/slow) and the target zone (narrow/wide). All participants received continuous visual feedback about position in zone, and one sub-group was given additional auditory warnings when exiting/entering the zone. At the end of each trial, participants made a metacognitive evaluation: the proportion of the trial they believed was spent in the zone. Overall, although evaluations broadly shifted in line with task demands, participants showed limited calibration to performance. Regression analysis showed that evaluations were influenced by two components: (a) direct monitoring of performance and (b) indirect task heuristics estimating performance based on salient cues (e.g., speed). Evaluations often weighted indirect task heuristics inappropriately, but the additional auditory feedback improved evaluations seemingly by reducing this weighting. These results have important implications for all motor tasks where conscious cognitive control can be used to influence action selection.

Download Full-text

Visual and Auditory Augmented Concurrent Feedback in a Complex Motor Task

Presence Teleoperators & Virtual Environments ◽

10.1162/pres_a_00032 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

pp. 15-32 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Roland Sigrist

Keyword(s):

Motor Learning ◽

Cognitive Processing ◽

Visual Feedback ◽

Auditory Feedback ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Systematic Evaluation ◽

Motor Tasks ◽

Augmented Feedback ◽

Feedback Design ◽

Complex Motor

In general, concurrent augmented feedback has been shown to effectively enhance learning in complex motor tasks. However, to optimize technical systems that are intended to reinforce motor learning, a systematic evaluation of different augmented feedback designs is required. Until now, mainly visual augmented feedback has been applied to enhance learning of complex motor tasks. Since most complex motor tasks are mastered in response to information visually perceived, providing augmented concurrent feedback in a visual manner may overload the capacities of visual perception and cognitive processing. Thus, the aim of this work was to evaluate the practicability of auditory feedback designs supporting a three-dimensional rowing-type movement in comparison with visual feedback designs. We term a feedback design practical if the provided information can easily be perceived and interpreted, and immediately be used to support the movement. In a first experiment, it became evident that participants could interpret three-dimensional auditory feedback designs based on stereo balance, pitch, timbre, and/or volume. Eleven of 12 participants were able to follow the different target movements using auditory feedback designs as accurately as with a very abstract visual feedback design. Visual designs based on superposition of actual and target oar orientation led to the most accurate performance. Considering the first experimental results, the feedback designs were further developed and again evaluated. It became evident that a permanent visual display of the target trajectories could further enhance movement accuracy. Moreover, results indicated that the practicability of the auditory designs depends on the polarity of the mapping functions. In general, both visual and auditory concurrent feedback designs were practical to immediately support multidimensional movement. In a next step, the effectiveness to enhance motor learning will be systematically evaluated.

Download Full-text

Feedback Modalities in Brain–Computer Interfaces: A Systematic Review

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/1071181320641283 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 64 (1) ◽

pp. 1186-1190

Author(s):

Wakana Ishihara ◽

Karen Moxon ◽

Sheryl Ehrman ◽

Mark Yarborough ◽

Tina L. Panontin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Visual Feedback ◽

Auditory Feedback ◽

Brain Computer Interface ◽

Tactile Feedback ◽

Proprioceptive Feedback ◽

Computer Interface ◽

Computer Interfaces ◽

Feedback Modalities ◽

Improving Accuracy

This systematic review addresses the plausibility of using novel feedback modalities for brain–computer interface (BCI) and attempts to identify the best feedback modality on the basis of the effectiveness or learning rate. Out of the chosen studies, it was found that 100% of studies tested visual feedback, 31.6% tested auditory feedback, 57.9% tested tactile feedback, and 21.1% tested proprioceptive feedback. Visual feedback was included in every study design because it was intrinsic to the response of the task (e.g. seeing a cursor move). However, when used alone, it was not very effective at improving accuracy or learning. Proprioceptive feedback was most successful at increasing the effectiveness of motor imagery BCI tasks involving neuroprosthetics. The use of auditory and tactile feedback resulted in mixed results. The limitations of this current study and further study recommendations are discussed.

Download Full-text

Cerebellar Dysfunction in Adults with Prader Willi Syndrome

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10153320 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (15) ◽

pp. 3320

Author(s):

Laura Blanco-Hinojo ◽

Laia Casamitjana ◽

Jesus Pujol ◽

Gerard Martínez-Vilavella ◽

Susanna Esteba-Castillo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Motor Control ◽

Motor Function ◽

Motor Coordination ◽

Task Demands ◽

Functional Mobility ◽

Prader Willi Syndrome ◽

Pathophysiological Mechanism ◽

Motor Tasks ◽

Correlation Pattern ◽

Motor Processing

Severe hypotonia during infancy is a hallmark feature of Prader Willi syndrome (PWS). Despite its transient expression, moto development is delayed and deficiencies in motor coordination are present at older ages, with no clear pathophysiological mechanism yet identified. The diverse motor coordination symptoms present in adult PWS patients could be, in part, the result of a common alteration(s) in basic motor control systems. We aimed to examine the motor system in PWS using functional MRI (fMRI) during motor challenge. Twenty-three adults with PWS and 22 matched healthy subjects participated in the study. fMRI testing involved three hand motor tasks of different complexity. Additional behavioral measurements of motor function were obtained by evaluating hand grip strength, functional mobility, and balance. Whole brain activation maps were compared between groups and correlated with behavioral measurements. Performance of the motor tasks in PWS engaged the neural elements typically involved in motor processing. While our data showed no group differences in the simplest task, increasing task demands evoked significantly weaker activation in patients in the cerebellum. Significant interaction between group and correlation pattern with measures of motor function were also observed. Our study provides novel insights into the neural substrates of motor control in PWS by demonstrating reduced cerebellar activation during movement coordination.

Download Full-text

Impact Loading During Distracted Running Before and After Auditory Gait Retraining

International Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1055/a-0667-9875 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 39 (14) ◽

pp. 1075-1080 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Eric Ching ◽

Winko An ◽

Ivan Au ◽

Janet Zhang ◽

Zoe Chan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Visual Feedback ◽

Impact Loading ◽

Auditory Feedback ◽

Loading Rate ◽

Real Life ◽

Gait Retraining ◽

Positive Acceleration ◽

Before And After ◽

The Impact ◽

High Sound

AbstractVisual feedback gait retraining has been reported to successfully reduce impact loading in runners, even when the runners were distracted. However, auditory feedback is more feasible in real life application. Hence, this study compared the peak positive acceleration (PPA), vertical average (VALR) and instantaneous (VILR) loading rate during distracted running before and after a course of auditory feedback gait retraining in 16 runners. The runners were asked to land with softer footfalls with and without auditory feedback. Low or high sound pitch was generated according to the impact of particular footfall, when compared with the preset target. Runners then received a course of auditory gait retraining, and after the gait retraining, runners completed a reassessment. Runners before gait retraining exhibited lower PPA, VALR and VILR with augmented auditory feedback (p<0.049). We found a reduction in PPA, VALR and VILR after gait retraining, regardless of the presence of feedback (p<0.018). However, runners after gait retraining did not demonstrate further reduction in PPA and VALR with auditory feedback (p>0.104). A small effect of auditory feedback on VILR in runners after gait retraining was observed (p=0.032). Real time auditory feedback gait retraining is effective in impact loading reduction, even when the runners were distracted.

Download Full-text

Exposure to auditory feedback delay while speaking induces perceptual habituation but does not mitigate the disruptive effect of delay on speech auditory-motor learning

10.1101/2020.02.15.951004 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Douglas M. Shiller ◽

Takashi Mitsuya ◽

Ludo Max

Keyword(s):

Motor Learning ◽

Visual Feedback ◽

Auditory Feedback ◽

Detrimental Effect ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Motor Adaptation ◽

List Type ◽

Disruptive Effect ◽

Feedback Delay ◽

Spectral Perturbation

ABSTRACTPerceiving the sensory consequences of our actions with a delay alters the interpretation of these afferent signals and impacts motor learning. For reaching movements, delayed visual feedback of hand position reduces the rate and extent of visuomotor adaptation, but substantial adaptation still occurs. Moreover, the detrimental effect of visual feedback delay on reach motor learning—selectively affecting its implicit component—can be mitigated by prior habituation to the delay. Auditory-motor learning for speech has been reported to be more sensitive to feedback delay, and it remains unknown whether habituation to auditory delay reduces its negative impact on learning. We investigated whether 30 minutes of exposure to auditory delay during speaking (a) affects the subjective perception of delay, and (b) mitigates its disruptive effect on speech auditory-motor learning. During a speech adaptation task with real-time perturbation of vowel spectral properties, participants heard this frequency-shifted feedback with no delay, 75 ms delay, or 115 ms delay. In the delay groups, 50% of participants had been exposed to the delay throughout a preceding 30-minute block of speaking whereas the remaining participants completed this block without delay. Although habituation minimized awareness of the delay, no improvement in adaptation to the spectral perturbation was observed. Thus, short-term habituation to auditory feedback delays is not effective in reducing the negative impact of delay on speech auditory-motor adaptation. Combined with previous findings, the strong negative effect of delay and the absence of an influence of delay awareness suggest the involvement of predominantly implicit learning mechanisms in speech.HIGHLIGHTSSpeech auditory-motor adaptation to a spectral perturbation was reduced by ~50% when feedback was delayed by 75 or 115 ms.Thirty minutes of prior delay exposure without perturbation effectively reduced participants’ awareness of the delay.However, habituation was ineffective in remediating the detrimental effect of delay on speech auditory-motor adaptation.The dissociation of delay awareness and adaptation suggests that speech auditory-motor learning is mostly implicit.

Download Full-text

Abstract P216: Speed-Accuracy Tradeoffs During Cognitive and Upper-Limb Horizontal Movement Tasks in Chronic Strokes

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.52.suppl_1.p216 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 52 (Suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Hogene Kim ◽

Hyunjong Lee ◽

Kwon Ilho

Keyword(s):

Visual Feedback ◽

Upper Limb ◽

Dual Task ◽

Cognitive Task ◽

Motor Speed ◽

Motor Tasks ◽

Dual Tasks ◽

Cognitive Speed ◽

Relationship Of ◽

Speed And Accuracy

Objectives: This study investigated cognitive-motor interference on the relationship of speed and accuracy during a cognitive and upper-limb motor dual task. Method: Nine stroke patients (56.5±7.3 years; M:9) participated in a series of cognitive-motor dual tasks. A subject with chronic stroke was seated with paretic hand fastened on the handle and then one of five motor tasks was provided (Figure 1A). Visual feedback in a front screen was synchronized as the handle cursor moves within the movement trajectory with two difficulty levels (5cm or 10cm). In a dual task, a cognitive task, Serial Seven(S7), was concurrently provided with a randomly chosen number at the onset of the motor task by a test administrator.Figure 1 Cognitive-Motor dual task setup (left up) and trajectory shapes (Diagonoal; Mediolateral; Anteroposterior; Cross; Circle) and level of difficulties (Easy 10cm or Hard 5cm) in motor tasks. The motor speed and accuracy and the cognitive speed and accuracy were evaluated during one-minute trial time. Pearson-correlation coefficients evaluated outcome relationship of the speed and accuracy in single or cognitive-motor dual tasks with the significance level 0.05 using a commercial statistics package (SPSS ver 22, Chicago IL,US). Results: There were significant positive correlation between single and dual motor speeds ( Easy :R 2 =0.678,p<0.001; Hard : R 2 =0.714,p<0.001) and significant negative correlationbetween single motor speed and dual cognitive speed ( Easy : R 2 =0.661,p<0.001; Hard :R 2 =0.6523,p<0.001) (Figure 1B) Conclusions: There were significant correlations between the upper-limb horizontal movements with visual feedback and S7 cognitive task. This study may provide useful information on upper-limb motor robotic therapies using 2D horizontal upper-limb movements.

Download Full-text

Visuele Terugkoppeling Van Engelse Intonatie;

Toegepaste Taalwetenschap in Artikelen ◽

10.1075/ttwia.9.09bot ◽

1981 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. 112-118

Author(s):

Kees de Bot

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Visual Feedback ◽

Auditory Feedback ◽

Future Research ◽

Learning Behaviour ◽

Feedback Mode ◽

Practice Time

A description is given of an experiment in which we tried to show that visual feedback is more effective in intonation learning than auditory feedback. The factors in the experiment were feedback mode and practice time. The results showed a significant effect of visual feedback over auditory feedback, whereas amount of practice time doesn't seem to be a major factor. An analysis of learning behaviour of the subjects in the experiment revealed that feedback mode influences learning behaviour: subjects with visual feedback tend to practise more intensively than subjects with auditory feedback. Future research will concentrate on various factors related to intonation learning and the effectiveness of visual feedback, such as the role of age, mothertongue and degree of fluency in the second language.

Download Full-text

Pupillometry as an Objective Measure of Sustained Attention in Young and Older Listeners

Trends in Hearing ◽

10.1177/2331216519887815 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 23 ◽

pp. 233121651988781 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Sijia Zhao ◽

Gabriela Bury ◽

Alice Milne ◽

Maria Chait

Keyword(s):

Sustained Attention ◽

Pupil Diameter ◽

Objective Measure ◽

Task Demands ◽

Global Changes ◽

Time On Task ◽

Individual Level ◽

Older Populations ◽

Crowded Environments ◽

Trial Participants

The ability to sustain attention on a task-relevant sound source while avoiding distraction from concurrent sounds is fundamental to listening in crowded environments. We aimed to (a) devise an experimental paradigm with which this aspect of listening can be isolated and (b) evaluate the applicability of pupillometry as an objective measure of sustained attention in young and older populations. We designed a paradigm that continuously measured behavioral responses and pupillometry during 25-s trials. Stimuli contained a number of concurrent, spectrally distinct tone streams. On each trial, participants detected gaps in one of the streams while resisting distraction from the others. Behavior demonstrated increasing difficulty with time-on-task and with number/proximity of distractor streams. In young listeners ( N = 20; aged 18 to 35 years), pupil diameter (on the group and individual level) was dynamically modulated by instantaneous task difficulty: Periods where behavioral performance revealed a strain on sustained attention were accompanied by increased pupil diameter. Only trials on which participants performed successfully were included in the pupillometry analysis so that the observed effects reflect task demands as opposed to failure to attend. In line with existing reports, we observed global changes to pupil dynamics in the older group ( N = 19; aged 63 to 79 years) including decreased pupil diameter, limited dilation range, and reduced temporal variability. However, despite these changes, older listeners showed similar effects of attentive tracking to those observed in the young listeners. Overall, our results demonstrate that pupillometry can be a reliable and time-sensitive measure of attentive tracking over long durations in both young and (with caveats) older listeners.

Download Full-text