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Involving the motor system in decision making.
Reto Wyss1, Peter König, Paul F M J Verschure
1Institute of Neuroinformatics, University/ETH Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland. r.wyss@ini.phys.ethz.ch
Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|April 23, 2004
Summary
The motor system aids in interpreting situations and managing behavior, suggesting it plays a role in perception. This challenges traditional views of sensory processing, decision-making, and movement control.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Robotics
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Traditional models separate sensory processing, decision-making, and movement control.
- Recent data blurs these distinctions, questioning the strict separation of behavioral control stages.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the motor system's contribution to interpreting behavioral situations.
- Explore how the motor system integrates sensory information for behavioral control.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a neural model of sensory-motor integration.
- Applied the model to a mobile robot performing navigation tasks.
Main Results:
- The motor system's population response can categorize behavioral situations.
- This categorization helps assess situation complexity and determine the need for higher-level decision-making.
Conclusions:
- The motor system contributes to the perception and interpretation of behavioral contexts.
- Supports a reconceptualization of behavioral control, integrating the motor system into high-level perception.