An active inference model of hierarchical action understanding, learning and imitation

We advance a novel computational model of the acquisition of a hierarchical action repertoire and its use for observation, understanding and motor control. The model is grounded in a principled framework to understand brain and cognition: active inference. We exemplify the functioning of the model by presenting four simulations of a tennis learner who observes a teacher performing tennis shots and forms hierarchical representations of the observed actions - including both actions that are already in her repertoire and novel actions - and finally imitates them. Our simulations that show that the agent’s oculomotor activity implements an active information sampling strategy that permits inferring the kinematics aspects of the observed movement, which lie at the lowest level of the action hierarchy. In turn, this low-level kinematic inference supports higher-level inferences about deeper aspects of the observed actions, such as their proximal goals and intentions. Finally, the inferred action representations can steer imitative motor responses, but interfere with the execution of different actions. Taken together, our simulations show that the same hierarchical active inference model provides a unified account of action observation, understanding, learning and imitation. Finally, our model provides a computational rationale to explain the neurobiological underpinnings of visuomotor cognition, including the multiple routes for action understanding in the dorsal and ventral streams and mirror mechanisms.

Radar operator’s oculomotor activity at working with group targets

Computer oculography (eye-tracking) technologies make it possible to effectively study the work of the human oculomotor system in the operator's activity in the man-machine system. The data obtained in this way helps to increase the system efficiency, especially in conditions of extreme activities associated with vital and emotional stress at a high cost of error. Within the process of the interface ergonomic design of the radar complex for detecting and tracking, the features of the human oculomotor system are considered when working with group targets.

Conservation of locomotion-induced oculomotor activity through evolution in higher tetrapods

We report a functional coupling between spinal locomotor and oculomotor networks in the mouse, similar to the one previously described in amphibians. This is the first evidence for the direct contribution of locomotor networks to gaze control in mammals, suggesting a conservation of the spino-extraocular coupling in higher tetrapods during sustained locomotion.

Analysis of Students’ Oculomotor Activity Observed when Reading from the PC Screen

Introduction. This paper analyzes the problem of formation of educational Internet resources. Despite numerous works concerning the importance of using information technologies in the education, the issue of its rational organization remains understudied. The purpose of the article is to analyze what patterns are observed when students read educational information from the screen, and how these patterns can be used to create educational Internet resources. Materials and Methods. To study the interaction of students with educational information on the screen, the authors used the method of oculography. The results were processed using the BeGaze and IBM SPSS Statistics 22 programs. In total 100 respondents participated in the experiment, 50 of which were trained in the natural sciences, 50 – in the humanities. Results. It is determined that the presence of media text influences the oculomotor activity of students: students commit fewer fixations and saccades, the average duration of saccades increases, the value of the Scanpath Length indicator decreases. It was revealed that the orientation of training forms strategies for working with information on the screen: students of natural sciences read texts longer, blink less often; they have a higher Scanpath Length value. When forming educational Internet resources, the developer should take into account the students’ specialisms with reference to e-material. It should also be borne in mind that the presence of images on educational Internet pages is perceived by students as a simplifying factor for completing the cognitive task of reading, but students practically do not pay attention to the images themselves. This may be attributed to the specificity of the learning process, when their main focus is on written texts acquisition. Discussion and Conclusion. The results of the study open a new direction in the study of the problem of rational organization of the student's learning process using technical devices and may be of interest to developers of educational Internet resources, as well as practicing teachers.

Sensory Input Modulates Microsaccades during Heading Perception

Microsaccades are small eye movements produced during attempted fixation. During locomotion, the eyes scan the environment; the gaze is not always directed to the focus of expansion of the optic flow field. We sought to investigate whether the microsaccadic activity was modulated by eye position during the view of radial optic flow stimuli, and if the presence or lack of a proprioceptive input signal may influence the microsaccade characteristics during self-motion perception. We recorded the oculomotor activity when subjects were either standing or sitting in front of a screen during the view of optic flow stimuli that simulated specific heading directions with different gaze positions. We recorded five trials of each stimulus. Results showed that microsaccade duration, peak velocity, and rate were significantly modulated by optic flow stimuli and trial sequence. We found that the microsaccade rate increased in each condition from trial 1 to trial 5. Microsaccade peak velocity and duration were significantly different across trials. The analysis of the microsaccade directions showed that the different combinations of optic flow and eye position evoked non-uniform directions of microsaccades in standing condition with mean vectors in the upper-left quadrant of the visual field, uncorrelated with optic flow directions and eye positions. In sitting conditions, all stimuli evoked uniform directions of microsaccades. Present results indicate that the proprioceptive signals when the subjects stand up creates a different input that could alter the eye-movement characteristics during heading perceptions.

Oculomotor response to images in primary school children with mild intellectual disability

Oculomotor activity (eye movements) is an essential component of visual data acquisition, analysis and use. The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics of oculomotor response to static images in primary school children with mild intellectual disability (ID). Our sample included a total of 49 schoolers (23 children with mild ID and 26 typically developing children). Oculomotor activity was evaluated using a GP3 Gazepoint eye tracker. The participants were presented with 15 visual stimuli: 10 pictorial and 5 mixed (pictures + text) static color images. Children with mild ID generated significantly fewer fixations (р = 0.038) than typically developing children. So, learning materials containing both pictorial and textual images are ineffective because textual elements are completely ignored by children with mild ID. The total duration of gaze fixations was significantly longer (р = 0.029) in typically developing children than in children with mild ID. However, the average duration of a single gaze fixation was longer in children with mild ID. The identified features of oculomotor response can help to optimize the format of instructional materials for primary school children with mild ID.

Assessing the Aircraft Crew Activity Basing on Video Oculography Data

Mathematical models and methods for crew training level assessing based on video oculography data are presented. The results obtained are based on comparing the studied fragments of oculomotor activity of pilots with comparable patterns of video oculography data of various types and performance quality contained in a pre-formed specialized database. To obtain estimates, a complex combination of random process analysis and multivariate statistical analysis is used. The “intelligence” of diagnostic tools is contained in empirical data and can flexibly change as they accumulate. The considered example of determining the flight mode and pilot qualification based on video oculography data allows us to talk about the possibility of significant discrimination of the gaze movement trajectories of pilots at different flight phases and significant discrimination of the gaze movement trajectories of experienced and inexperienced pilots at certain phases of flight. An important new component of the presented results is a discriminant analysis for solving the problem of flight exercises classification, based on the principles of quantum computing. The scope of the considered approach is not limited to aviation applications and can be extended to tasks that are similar in content.

Field Dependence / Field Independence as a Factor of Financial Decision Making With Varying Degrees of Risk Among Students

Currently, a new interdisciplinary field of research – financial behaviour-is rapidly developing. Psychological characteristics of the subject of financial behaviour can have a significant impact on the decision-making process in this field. Cognitive style, as an individual way of processing the information perceived by the subject, is one of the factors determining such procedural features of financial decision-making as: the time spent on decision – making, the speed of decision-making, the emotional state of the individual during decision-making, the nature of perceptual information processing (especially oculomotor activity), as well as the type of decision strategy - rational, irrational or marginal.