Abstract
The human ability to anticipate the consequences that result from action is an essential building block for cognitive, emotional, and social functioning. A dominant view is that this faculty is based on motor predictions, in which a forward model uses a copy of the motor command to predict imminent sensory action-consequences. Although this account was originally conceived to explain the processing of action-outcomes that are tightly coupled to bodily movements, it has been increasingly extrapolated to effects beyond the body. Here, we critically evaluate this generalization and argue that, although there is ample evidence for the role of predictions in the processing of environment-related action-outcomes, there is hitherto little reason to assume that these predictions result from motor-based forward models.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 743-753 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Trends in Cognitive Sciences |
Volume | 23 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Sept 2019 |
Funding
The authors are grateful to Surya Gayet, Dennis Hofman, Gethin Hughes, James Moore, Ezequiel Morsella, Roland Pfister, Simone Schütz-Bosbach, and anonymous reviewers for fruitful discussions and helpful comments on previous versions of the manuscript. This project was funded by a research talent grant ( 406-14-039 ) from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research . Active inference an extension of predictive coding models that includes motor control. In particular, active inference presumes that prediction-errors regarding expected sensory states cannot only be resolved by updating one’s predictions, but also by actively bringing about the expected sensory input through one’s actions. Ambiguous motion sphere a rotating sphere with an ambiguous motion direction. The sphere comprises dots, half of which move in a leftward direction, and half of which move in a rightward direction. The sphere can be perceived as rotating in a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction depending on whether the leftward- or the rightward-moving dots are perceived to be located in the front plane (i.e., closer to the observer). Bistable perception a single stimulus that can result in two perceptual interpretations that tend to alternate over time. Efference copy a copy of the motor command that can be used as input for forward models. Gabor patch a visual stimulus to which the primary visual cortex is particularly responsive, comprising a sinusoidal grating. Ideomotor theory a theory on action-selection suggesting that actions are represented in terms of their sensory consequences Optokinetic response reflexive movement of the eyes (as well as the head and body in some animals) in response to the full motion of one’s visual field. The movement is in the same direction as the retinal motion to maintain perceptual stability. Predictive coding theoretical framework on perception in which the brain forms internal models about sensory input, which it continuously updates by minimizing prediction errors that result from the comparison between predicted and actual input. Proprioceptive the sense of one’s body in space (e.g., in terms of position and velocity). Reafferent resulting from one’s own movement. Rivalrous gratings the presentation of unique gratings (often in terms of their orientation) to each eye. Instead of perceiving a fused image, perception will alternate between the two possible interpretations over time (a phenomenon known as binocular rivalry). Saccades fast eye movements that shift gaze from one fixation point to another.
Keywords
- effect anticipation
- forward models
- ideomotor theory
- perceptual processing
- prediction
- predictive coding