Investigating the Neurophysiological and Cognitive Bases of Action Recognition and the Sense of Agency

我的研究计划的一个重要目标是了解大脑机制和认知过程，这些机制和认知过程是感知他人行为和自我行为的基础。人类经常通过观察他人的动作来学习，但人们对运动系统在随时间推移观察到的动作的表现中所扮演的角色知之甚少。随着时间的推移保持所看到的动作的能力对于学习至关重要，例如，如果有人观察到健身教练用特定的设备执行动作，则形成动作和物体的表示以帮助将来的行为是有用的。最近，我们发现运动系统在这种表征中起着因果作用。本提案中的工作包1将更深入地了解初级运动皮层（M1）和右额下回（rIFG）在形成和维持动作和物体表征中的作用。具体问题包括揭示M1和rIFG参与表示所看到的动作和物体的时间，以及确定M1的哪些区域对动作和物体识别至关重要。一个关键的人类经验是对我们的行为及其结果的代理感（SOA）-理解SOA是目前认知神经科学和实验心理学研究的主要焦点。理解SOA非常重要，因为没有它，人类体验就会恶化，例如，当精神分裂症患者经历对行为和结果的异常控制时，通常会产生令人不安的后果。尽管SOA很重要，但关于SOA是如何产生的以及影响它的因素还有很多未解之谜。在工作包2中，我们关注的是当个人快速调整他们计划的行动时，SOA是如何受到影响的。例如，如果司机计划停车，但由于障碍物吹到路上而必须比计划提前突然停车，SOA会发生什么？同样，当狙击手计划扣动扳机，但一个无辜的人走在目标面前，狙击手必须迅速停止扣动扳机。当操作取消失败时，SOA会发生什么？我们进一步问什么作用的行动选择过程中产生的SOA和行动的决策时间如何影响SOA。例如，消费者有时会在没有时间压力的情况下做出缓慢的选择，但在其他时候，他们会做出快速的决定。决策时间对SOA有什么影响？我们的研究在未来可能有助于理解消费者（选择）行为和控制感，并将为优化代理感（即，对照）。这些信息对从智能手机设计师到营销公司的公司都很有价值，如果战略性地使用，可能会使加拿大经济受益。HQP还将在知识经济中承担工作，从而为加拿大未来的繁荣做出贡献。

Summary of Proposal ***An important goal of my research program is to understand the brain mechanisms and cognitive processes underlying the perception of other peoples' actions and actions made by the self. Humans often learn by watching the actions of others, but little is known about the role of the motor system in the representation of observed actions over time. The capacity to retain seen actions over time is crucial for learning, e.g., if someone observes a fitness instructor performing an action with a particular piece of equipment, it is useful to form a representation of the action and the object to aid future behaviour. Recently, we found that the motor system plays a causal role in such representation. Work Package 1 in this proposal will provide deeper insights into the role of the primary motor cortex (M1) and the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) in forming and maintaining representations of actions and objects. Specific questions include uncovering the timing at which M1 and rIFG are involved in representing seen actions and objects, and determining which areas of M1 are crucial for action and object recognition. A key human experience is the sense of agency (SOA) over our actions and their outcomes - and understanding the SOA is currently a major focus of research in cognitive neuroscience and experimental psychology. It is very important to understand the SOA, because without it, human experience deteriorates, e.g., when schizophrenic patients experience abnormal control over actions and outcomes, often with disturbing consequences. Despite its importance, there are many unanswered questions about how the SOA arises and what factors affect it. In work package 2 we focus on how the SOA is affected when individuals make rapid adjustments to their planned actions. For example, if a driver plans to stop his/her car but must then suddenly stop earlier than planned because an obstacle blows onto the road, what happens to the SOA? Similarly, when a sniper plans to pull the trigger, but an innocent person walks in front of the target, the sniper must rapidly stop the trigger pull. What happens to the SOA when action cancellation fails? We further ask what role action selection processes play in generating the SOA and how decision time for action affects the SOA. For example, consumers sometimes make slow, choices in the absence of time pressure, but at other times, they make rapid, rushed decisions. What effect does decision time have on the SOA? Our research could, in the future, be useful for understanding consumer (choice) behaviour and feelings of control, and will inform the design of devices to optimize the sense of agency (i.e., control). This information is valuable to companies ranging from smartphone designers to marketing firms and, used strategically, could benefit the Canadian economy. HQP will also be positioned to take on jobs in the knowledge economy thus contributing to Canada's future prosperity.**