Cognition Chapter 8 (Motor Control And Movement) Flashcards
What are motions that are automatic
Motions that are properly learned like riding a bike or walking in right directions.
What determines which action is chosen as movement (4 principles)
- Current state (what is current situation)
- Goal state (what you want to achieve)
- Effectors (which body parts you can use)
- Possible obstacles
What is the central problem in motor control
How do you choose a specific action given an endless array of possible paths (many degrees of freedom problem)
How does Peter argue about free will
You can do stuff in many different way, and a person can choose (how to pick up a bottle)
What are the three solutions to the degrees of freedom problem
- Equilibrium point hypothesis
- Dynamic systems
- Optimal control
What is the equilibrium point hypothesis
In physical movement we just program the tensions in the “springs” (no planning in coordinates but in strength) to adjust a new equilibrium
–> agaonist and antagonist muscles (for example in upper arm and Bizeps)
This way the brain does not have to think about coordinates
Analogy are saloon doors (always go back to middle cause of balance, but you can change the tension of each spring to alter)
What is the dynamical system theory
The movement of the body can be predicted and calculated as muscles have an automatic way of moving
This leads to natural decrease of the degrees of freedom involved in action planning
Transitions from one state to another follow naturally because of physics (walking to running (no inbetween))
What is the optimal control theory
The most efficient movement is selected The selection (control policy) ist based on how mastakes can happen, how fluent the movement is and how many forces have to be applied (basal ganglia decides) In this theory, the movement and planning is also adjusted
How is feedback adjusted in Optimal control theory
- It is adjusted through sensory feedback and multisensory perception (what went wrong right now) (can be seen in rubber hand illusion)
- It is adjsted through predictions of feedback based on previous action (can be seen with the forces-on-finger experiment)
Explain the experiment which tests prediction of feedback with the forces on finger and what the results mean
Force is applied to finger
People have to match force with other finger either on the motor (high match) or directly on the finger (too high match)
–> we underestimate our force
This is because it we need to be more sensitive to unexpected external forces than to expected self generates forces (you cannot tickle yourself)
Where do adjustment in movement based on feedback happen in the brain
The adjustment of movements based on feedback happen in the cerebellum
Explain action sequences
Most actions are repeated movements and arent isolated
Therefore Actions are mostly about sequences
They are controlled by motor programmes, which are array of commands made in advance (you can only write with your right hand, but learn to write with your left)
What are abstracts
Abstracts are sequences of goal states
Movements are not just particular muscular actions
How is an abstract sequency formed
- Associative chain theory (just connect one to another)
This would lead to many problems in language (instead it uses Hierarchical control structures) - Hierarchical control theory (one behaviour leads to another (serving in tennis: throw, hit, walk)
–> can be simulated by artificial neural networks)
What are involved brain parts in hierachiy movements
The frontal lobes
The higher the position in the hierachiy the more frontal the representation
Processing leads to activation of the primary motor cortex (where you feels your body parts)
