Active inference and agency

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Science
• Neuroscience
• Philosophy of Mind

Background:

• Perception is increasingly understood through embodied and active processes.
• Existing theories include perception as hypothesis testing, affordance, and sensorimotor contingencies.
• Seth's work synthesizes these diverse perspectives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To formally present the fundamentals of active inference.
• To provide a mathematical framework for Seth's synthesis of embodied perception theories.
• To highlight the embodied nature of perceptual inference.

Main Methods:

• Rehearsal of the core principles of active inference.
• Formalization of active inference concepts.
• Integration of sensorimotor contingencies with active inference.

Main Results:

• Active inference offers a unified framework for embodied perception.
• The formal basis supports the reconciliation of perception as hypothesis testing, affordance, and sensorimotor contingencies.
• Demonstrates the embodied nature of perceptual inference.

Conclusions:

• Active inference provides a robust theoretical foundation for understanding embodied perception.
• This framework unifies disparate theories of perception.
• Emphasizes the active, inferential nature of how we perceive the world.