The role of visual features in object processing for perception and action

我们生活在一个不断变化的世界，充满了各种各样的事物和事件。它太复杂了，无法完全分析。那么，我们如何才能正确地与它互动呢？我将研究大脑用来应对复杂性的三种基本策略。首先，它可以使用先验知识来引导注意力，选择需要首先处理的信息，而忽略其他信息。其次，它可以使用最优的方式以最好的方式整合信息。第三，它可以使用稀疏编码，也就是说，它可以将其对世界的感官信息的复杂性转换为更简单，分类的描述。我将探讨这些策略在两种类型的功能中的作用，当感知对象和控制对它们的手动操作时。具体来说，我会问：(1)在物体感知中，先验知识和注意的神经关联是什么？(2)感知和抓取动作的差异是否可以用优化的差异来解释？(3)在分类学习等高级认知功能中，感知和行动过程是否与稀疏编码不同？我期望这项研究的结果将进一步理解物体感知的机制，视觉过程的功能结构，以及感觉运动过程对人类思维的贡献。

We live in an ever-changing world that is rich with objects and events. It is too complex to analyze it completely. So, how can we properly interact with it? I will investigate three fundamental strategies that the brain can use to cope with complexity. First, it can use prior knowledge to guide its attention and to select pieces of information that need to be processed first while ignoring others. Second, it can use optimal ways to integrate information in the best possible way. Third, it can use sparse coding, that is, it can convert the complexity of its sensory information about the world into simpler, categorical descriptions. I will explore the role of these strategies for two types of functions, when perceiving objects and when controlling manual actions towards them. Specifically, I will ask: (1) What are the neural correlates of prior knowledge and attention for object perception? (2) Can differences between perception and grasp actions be explained by differences in optimization? (3) Do processes of perception and action differ with regards to sparse coding as often observed in higher cognitive functions such as category learning? I expect that results from this research will further an understanding of mechanisms of object perception, of the functional architecture of visual processes, and the contributions of sensorimotor processes to human thought.