Collaborative Research: Action Dynamics as an Index of Learning and Generalization

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Traditional theories in cognitive science often see mental processing and motor execution as separate domains of psychological investigation. In opposition to this, the past half-century has seen a resurgence of continuous and dynamical approaches to the mind, arguing for a smooth transition from cognitive into motor subsystems. This predicts that the dynamic characteristics of observable action will directly reflect underlying thought processes. In support of this, much recent research has shown that continuous tracking of motor movement can provide rich information about the mental processing giving rise to it. With support of the National Science Foundation, Drs. Rick Dale and Michael Spivey will explore how action dynamics can shed light on human learning. By tracking computer-mouse trajectories, Dale and Spivey aim to uncover how action dynamics evolve as people learn. Several multi-choice, computer-based experiments will employ tasks of varying complexity, from simple associative learning (e.g., pairing symbols) to acquiring knowledge from text. Such measures would supplement traditional performance variables based on discrete answers. These studies can also provide a further understanding of the intimate connection between thought and action. In addition, the work can provide insights about how best to adapt computer systems for education: Through automatic analysis of computer-mouse movements, these adapted systems could detect such states as lack of learner confidence or deep understanding, and could appropriately respond to these potential deficits in real time, and thereby enhance learning.