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Reinforcement effects in anticipatory smooth eye movements
Jean-Bernard Damasse1, Laurent U Perrinet1, Laurent Madelain2
1Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone UMR 7289, Marseille, France.
Journal of Vision
|October 23, 2018
Summary
Anticipatory smooth pursuit eye movements (aSPEM) are influenced by motion direction expectancy. Behavior-contingent rewards slightly improved aSPEM, but non-contingent reward expectations did not significantly alter them.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Ophthalmology
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Anticipatory smooth pursuit eye movements (aSPEM) precede visible target motion, reducing sensorimotor delays.
- Motion direction expectancy influences aSPEM initiation and velocity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of different reinforcement schedules on aSPEM.
- To determine if behavior-contingent or non-contingent reward expectancy influences anticipatory eye movements.
Main Methods:
- Experiment 1: Monetary reward contingent on achieving a specific anticipatory velocity.
- Experiment 2: Reward proportion manipulated across motion directions, independent of participant behavior.
- Online estimation of anticipatory velocity during the pre-motion gap.
Main Results:
- Behavior-contingent monetary reward showed a small but significant effect on aSPEM.
- Biased reward expectancy (non-contingent) did not systematically affect anticipatory eye movements.
- Motion direction expectancy significantly biased aSPEM direction and mean velocity.
Conclusions:
- Anticipatory eye movements function as operant behaviors, responsive to contingent reinforcement.
- Expectancy of non-contingent rewards is not an effective mechanism for biasing aSPEM.
- Findings support the view of aSPEM as goal-directed, learned responses.
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