The dynamics of decision-making and action during active sampling

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Embodied Cognition Theories (ECTs) posit decision-making is integrated with action execution.
• Ecologically relevant scenarios, where actions serve dual roles (choice expression and information sampling), are crucial for testing ECTs.
• Understanding the interplay between decision processes and action trajectories provides insights into embodied cognition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether information-sampling movements co-occur with the ongoing decision process in humans.
• To test the predictions of Embodied Cognition Theories in a task requiring both decision and information sampling.
• To analyze response trajectories for evidence of online interaction between decision-making and action-based information gathering.

Main Methods:

• A two-alternative forced-choice (2AFC) task was employed, where subjects categorized blurred object images.
• Cursor movements towards response options (left/right) were analyzed.
• Upward cursor movements were designed to reduce image blur, serving as an information-sampling mechanism.
• Response trajectories were classified as direct (non-sampling) or containing an initial upward component (sampling).

Main Results:

• Response trajectories exhibited a bimodal distribution, separating sampling and non-sampling behaviors.
• A decision to sample information was inferred at the early stage of trials with sampling trajectories.
• Sampling trajectories showed significant horizontal deviation early on, indicating an online interaction with the decision process, rather than purely upward movement.

Conclusions:

• Information-sampling actions are not independent but interact dynamically with the decision-making process.
• The findings support Embodied Cognition Theories by demonstrating that action execution is intertwined with decision processes, even under ecologically relevant constraints.
• The study highlights the importance of analyzing movement trajectories to understand the embodied nature of cognition.