Action observation for the prediction of outcomes and learning of motor skills

当我们看着别人移动时，我们对他们行为的理解有多少来自于我们自己的视觉-运动体验？我们怎样才能从观看别人表演新奇动作中学习呢？在动作观察过程中，哪些视觉信息支撑着任何运动系统的激活，反过来，这些信息的处理是如何受到我们自己的经验以及潜在的我们秘密重演或模拟我们所看到的东西的能力的影响？这些一般性问题支撑了这项研究计划。当我们观察别人的行为时，我们也在秘密的层面上看着别人的行为，这一想法得到了极大的关注和实证支持。然而，这一所谓的“模拟”假说在学习环境中很少被探索。此外，对于许多运动技能，如运动或手术，需要做出预期的决定，这些决定的过程以及驱动这些决定或由这些决定驱动的感知线索仍然存在疑问。我计划研究行动观察过程，因为它们与学习和预测他人行动结果有关。我的建议的A部分是基于使用双重任务方法来探索动作预测过程中的运动系统参与。我将研究动作模拟如何受到视觉线索提取的影响。通过对训练类型的操作(向地板或墙上的目标投掷飞镖，或者用重量)，我将确定促进模拟的条件，通用运动表示法有多大，以及人们参与运动系统的灵活性有多大。一种奇怪的可能性是，当一个人对他人的行为做出预测时，自己的运动系统会(有害地)更新。在B部分，我将使用适应方案来研究从观察中促进短期和长期适应的条件。通过对观察时间表的操作，我将研究观察在(隐含的)更新运动计划方面何时以及如何影响后来的运动性能。我将使用一种相对较新的技术(外周神经刺激)，研究与记忆巩固相关的过程是如何受到保持间隔期间的动作观察的影响的。这个研究项目将增加我们对我们的视觉-运动体验如何影响动作观察过程的基本理解，特别是关于对他人动作的潜在模拟以及控制这一过程的条件。这些知识将影响我们对如何获得运动技能、如何有意无意地从观看中学习以及如何做出预测性决定的理解。这可能会对我们如何教授和评估技能，以及我们目前的行为如何潜在地干扰我们正确评估他人行为的能力产生重大影响。

When we watch others move, how much of our understanding of their behaviour comes about from our own visual-motor experiences? How are we able to learn from watching others perform novel actions? What visual information underpins any motor-system activation during action observation and in turn, how is the processing of this information influenced by our own experiences and potentially our ability to covertly re-enact or simulate what we see? These general questions underpin this research proposal. The idea that when we watch other’s acting, we too run through the action at a covert level, is an idea that has received significant attention and empirical support. This so called ‘simulation’ hypothesis has, however, been little explored in a learning context. Moreover, for many motor skills, such as playing sports or performing surgery, where anticipatory decisions are required, questions remain about the processes underpinning these decisions and the perceptual cues that drive or are driven by these. I plan to investigate action observation processes, as they pertain to learning and the prediction of other’s action outcomes. Part A of my proposal is based on the use of dual-task methods to probe motor system engagement during action-prediction. I will study how action simulation is influenced by (or influences) visual cue pick-up. Through manipulations to the type of training (throwing darts to targets on the floor or wall, or with a weight), I will determine conditions which promote simulation, how general purpose motor-representations are, and how flexible people are in engaging their motor system. One curious possibility is that one’s own motor system is updated (detrimentally) when making predictions about another’s action. In Part B, I will use an adaptation protocol to study conditions which promote short- and long-term adaptation from observation. Through manipulations to the scheduling of observation I will study when and how observation impacts later motor performance with respect to (implicit) updating of motor plans. I will study how processes related to memory consolidation are affected by action-observation during the retention interval, using a relatively novel technique (peripheral nerve stimulation). This program of research will add to our basic understanding of how our visual-motor experiences impact processes of action-observation, specifically with respect to potential simulation of another’s actions and the conditions which govern this. This knowledge will impact our understanding of how we acquire motor skills, how we intentionally and unintentionally ‘learn’ from watching and how predictive decisions are made. This could have significant implications for how we teach and assess skills and how our current actions could potentially interfere with our ability to correctly assess another’s behaviour.