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Action planning and control under uncertainty emerge through a desirability-driven competition between parallel
Vince Enachescu1,2, Paul Schrater3,4, Stefan Schaal1,2
1Department of Neuroscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
Plos Computational Biology
|October 1, 2021
Summary
Decisions made during actions, even with uncertainty, show correlated reaction times and movement directions. This suggests parallel motor plan competition underlies action control under uncertainty.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Decision Making
Background:
- Most decision-making research separates action selection from action execution.
- Real-world decisions often occur during ongoing actions with changing alternatives.
- Understanding sensorimotor system's role in dynamic decision-making is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how the brain handles uncertainty in decisions made during ongoing actions.
- To decipher the neural mechanisms of action planning and control under evolving uncertainty.
Main Methods:
- Trained participants in rapid reaching movements to two potential targets.
- Target location was revealed post-movement initiation.
- Utilized a neurodynamical framework to model decision-making processes.
Main Results:
- Reaction time and initial movement direction were correlated.
- Movements to intermediate locations had longer reaction times than direct target approaches.
- This correlation was independent of target probability.
Conclusions:
- Action planning and control under uncertainty arise from parallel competition between motor plans.
- This competition is driven by the desirability of potential outcomes.
- The findings offer insights into dynamic decision-making in uncertain environments.
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