Scene variability affects action decisions, confidence and behaviour dynamics

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Human actions occur in dynamic environments where variability is common.
• Environmental variability can influence decision-making and confidence, even if irrelevant to task outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how scene variability affects action decisions, confidence, information sampling, and motor execution.
• To understand the adaptive mechanisms enabling successful task performance amidst environmental complexity.

Main Methods:

• Utilized immersive virtual reality for a simulated street-crossing task with varying car velocities.
• Manipulated scene variability to assess its impact on confidence judgments and crossing decisions.
• Recorded eye movements and kinematic data to analyze information sampling and motor execution dynamics.

Main Results:

• Increased scene variability reduced reported confidence and decreased crossing attempts.
• Crossing initiation was delayed under high variability, with participants compensating by increasing speed post-decision.
• Eye movement patterns indicated faster information processing during confident decisions and attempted crossings.
• Motor adjustments facilitated consistent performance despite environmental complexity.

Conclusions:

• Environmental variability, even when task-irrelevant, shapes confidence, decisions, and sensorimotor control.
• Adaptive kinematic adjustments allow for successful navigation of complex, variable environments.
• Understanding variability's role is crucial for comprehending sensorimotor tasks in dynamic settings.