abstract: The current work investigated the emergence of leader-follower roles during social motor coordination. Previous research has presumed a leader during coordination assumes a spatiotemporally advanced position (e.g., relative phase lead). While intuitive, this definition discounts what role-taking implies. Leading and following is defined as one person (or limb) having a larger influence on the motor state changes of another; the coupling is asymmetric. Three experiments demonstrated asymmetric coupling effects emerge when task or biomechanical asymmetries are imputed between actors. Participants coordinated in-phase (Ф =0o) swinging of handheld pendulums, which differed in their uncoupled eigenfrequencies (frequency detuning). Coupling effects were recovered through phase-amplitude modeling. Experiment 1 examined leader-follower coupling during a bidirectional task. Experiment 2 employed an additional coupling asymmetry by assigning an explicit leader and follower. Both experiment 1 and 2 demonstrated asymmetric coupling effects with increased detuning. In experiment 2, though, the explicit follower exhibited a phase lead in nearly all conditions. These results confirm that coupling direction was not determined strictly by relative phasing. A third experiment examined the question raised by the previous two, which is how could someone follow from ahead (i.e., phase lead in experiment 2). This was tested using a combination of frequency detuning and amplitude asymmetry requirements (e.g., 1:1 or 1:2 & 2:1). Results demonstrated larger amplitude movements drove the coupling towards the person with the smaller amplitude; small amplitude movements exhibited a phase lead, despite being a follower in coupling terms. These results suggest leader-follower coupling is a general property of social motor coordination. Predicting when such coupling effects occur is emphasized by the stability reducing effects of coordinating asymmetric components. Generally, the implication is role-taking is an emergent strategy of dividing up coordination stabilizing efforts unequally between actors (or limbs). / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Psychology 2015

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Le but de ce travail de thèse était de contribuer à une meilleure compréhension des mécanismes par lesquels nous nous représentons nos propres actions et celles d'autrui. En nous situant notamment dans la perspective de la théorie idéomotrice, nous avons examiné ces questions tout d'abord dans le cadre de l'imitation. Nos résultats indiquent un effet de l'apprentissage idéomoteur sur l'imitation intentionnelle (Etude 1), confirmant la flexibilité des liens perception-action, et démontrant le rôle des associations réponse-effet dans l'imitation. Toutefois, les performances à une tâche d'imitation automatique n'étaient pas influencées par un tel type d'apprentissage (Etude 2), possiblement en raison de processus différents n'ayant pas la même sensibilité à l'apprentissage idéomoteur. Nous avons ensuite étendu nos recherches au cadre des tâches conjointes (Etude 3). Nous montrons qu'une expérience idéomotrice corrélant l'exécution d'une action avec celle d'un agent non-humain conduit à la co-représentation de l'action de cet agent (présence d'un effet Simon social). Ainsi, l'expérience idéomotrice pourrait également permettre de modifier la co-représentation de l'action d'autrui en situation de tâche partagée. Ce travail confirme donc l'approche idéomotrice de la perception et de la représentation des actions d'autrui. / The aim of present work was to better understand the mechanisms by which we represent our own actions and those of others. Within the frame of the ideomotor theory, we first examined these questions in relation to imitation. Our results indicated an effect of ideomotor learning on intentional imitation (Study 1), confirming the flexibility of perception-action links, and demonstrating the role of action-effect associations in imitation. However, automatic imitation was not influenced by this type of learning (Study 2), which may suggest different processes with less sensitivity to learning ideomotor learning. We then extended our research to joint-action tasks (Study 3). We showed that an ideomotor experience, where action execution triggered actions of a non-human agent, induced a subsequent co-representation of this agent's actions (as indexed by social Simon effect). Ideomotor experience therefore seems to influence also the way we represent the actions of others in task-sharing. This work confirms the ideomotor approach to perception and representation of others' actions.

Cette thèse s’inscrit dans une approche incarnée et située de la cognition humaine et de l’ergonomie des interfaces Homme-Machine (IHM). En rupture avec les théories computo-symboliques, cette approche considère que la cognition a pour seule vocation l’action dans le but de s’adapter au monde. Appliquée à l’ergonomie des IHM, elle met l’accent sur la perception, l’action et le contexte comme éléments clés de l’interaction Homme-Machine. Cette vision de l’ergonomie est ici mise au service de la conception de stations sol de drones militaires, sur lesquelles le manque de sollicitations perceptivo-motrices et le caractère isolé des opérateurs contribuent à une accidentologie symptomatique. L’objet de cette thèse est donc de montrer en quoi l’approche incarnée et située permet de guider une démarche ergonomique et, en particulier, la conception de deux stations sol de drones militaires développés par Airbus Defence and Space. Dans un premier temps, une analyse centrée sur les aspects moteurs, perceptifs et contextuels de l’activité des opérateurs de drones est réalisée. La seconde étape est dédiée à la définition d’une organisation matériel-logiciel standardisée pour tous types de drones. Cette organisation repose sur l’exploitation de processus perceptivo-moteurs, notamment au moyen du paradigme Stimulus-Response Compatibility (SRC). En troisième lieu, est présentée la conception matérielle et logicielle de deux stations sol de drones adaptées à leurs contextes respectifs d’utilisation. Des moyens de vérification (e.g. tests utilisateurs) sont mis en œuvre pour valider les solutions proposées. Les résultats obtenus montrent que la démarche adoptée permet d’améliorer significativement certains aspects de l’activité des opérateurs de drones, en particulier en termes de performances et de charge mentale. D’autre part, ces travaux soulignent l’intérêt de l’approche incarnée et située, et sa forte valeur applicative tant au sein de la démarche ergonomique que dans un cycle de conception industrielle. / Cette thèse s’inscrit dans une approche incarnée et située de la cognition humaine et de l’ergonomie des interfaces Homme-Machine (IHM). En rupture avec les théories computo-symboliques, cette approche considère que la cognition a pour seule vocation l’action dans le but de s’adapter au monde. Appliquée à l’ergonomie des IHM, elle met l’accent sur la perception, l’action et le contexte comme éléments clés de l’interaction Homme-Machine. Cette vision de l’ergonomie est ici mise au service de la conception de stations sol de drones militaires, sur lesquelles le manque de sollicitations perceptivo-motrices et le caractère isolé des opérateurs contribuent à une accidentologie symptomatique. L’objet de cette thèse est donc de montrer en quoi l’approche incarnée et située permet de guider une démarche ergonomique et, en particulier, la conception de deux stations sol de drones militaires développés par Airbus Defence and Space. Dans un premier temps, une analyse centrée sur les aspects moteurs, perceptifs et contextuels de l’activité des opérateurs de drones est réalisée. La seconde étape est dédiée à la définition d’une organisation matériel-logiciel standardisée pour tous types de drones. Cette organisation repose sur l’exploitation de processus perceptivo-moteurs, notamment au moyen du paradigme Stimulus-Response Compatibility (SRC). En troisième lieu, est présentée la conception matérielle et logicielle de deux stations sol de drones adaptées à leurs contextes respectifs d’utilisation. Des moyens de vérification (e.g. tests utilisateurs) sont mis en œuvre pour valider les solutions proposées. Les résultats obtenus montrent que la démarche adoptée permet d’améliorer significativement certains aspects de l’activité des opérateurs de drones, en particulier en termes de performances et de charge mentale. D’autre part, ces travaux soulignent l’intérêt de l’approche incarnée et située, et sa forte valeur applicative tant au sein de la démarche ergonomique que dans un cycle de conception industrielle.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:30:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2007-04-20Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:40:21Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 cozzani_mv_dr_rcla.pdf: 1186459 bytes, checksum: 5e2d9f3d0e2bd4ac2b1185d126ad7eee (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Gestos perseverativos são respostas inapropriadas para uma demanda da tarefa e eles são comuns em algumas idades. Diariamente, adultos repetem inconscientemente muitos gestos simples que são automáticos nas suas rotinas. Quando o ambiente é alterado, a sinergia do movimento não é necessariamente ajustada. Isto tem sido associado à disfunção neurológica. Por outro lado, perseveração motora tem sido recentemente usada para interpretar a canônica tarefa Piagetiana A-não-B. Na tarefa Anão- B, bebês são incentivados a alcançar e pegar um de dois objetos (localização chamada A) algumas vezes, com poucos segundos de demora entre dar a dica (chacoalhar o objeto e motivar a criança a pegá-lo) e dar o estímulo para a criança. Depois de um número de tentativas em A, o experimentador dá a dica no alvo B. Tipicamente, por volta dos 10 meses de idade, bebês com desenvolvimento normal, mesmo olhando esse jogo de esconder e procurar, voltam a alcançar na tampa A depois do experimentador ter dado a dica na tampa B. A proposta deste estudo foi determinar se crianças com e sem retardo mental perseveram ou não na tarefa modificada Piagetiana de alcançe A-não-B, também, identificar o relacionamento entre o olhar e o alcançar durante sua performance, bem como o padrão do alcançar. Nós utilizamos a tarefa modificada da caixa de areia em que um objeto é escondido em uma localização A ou B. Vinte bebês com desenvolvimento normal (GC) (média de idade de 27,3 l 3.82 meses) e vinte crianças com atraso no desenvolvimento (GD) (média de idade de 55,62 l 9.24 meses) foram autorizados por seus pais para participarem do estudo. Enquanto realizaram a tarefa A-não-B na caixa de areia, todos os participantes foram filmados por 3 cameras. Os resultados revelaram que o GD perseverou mais do que o GC ao longo de todas as tentativas... / Perseverative gestures are inappropriate responses to a task demand and they are common at any age. Daily, adults repeat unconsciously many simple gestures that are automatic in their routines. When the environment is slightly altered, the movement synergy is not necessarily adjusted. This has been associated to neurological dysfunction. On the other hand, motor perseveration has recently been used to interpret the canonical A not B Piagetian task. In the A not B task, infants are enticed to reach for and grasp at one of two objects (location called A) a few times each, with few seconds delay between cuing (shaking the object and enticing the child to grab it) and giving the stimulus to the child. After a number of trials in A, the experiment cues the B target. Typically, around the age of 9 months, normally-developing infants, even though they watch this hide and seek game, return to reach for the A lid after being cued to reach for the B lid. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not children with and without mental retardation (MR) perseverate in a modified Piagetian A not B reaching task, and also to identify the looking and reaching relationship during their performance as well as the reaching pattern. We modified the traditional Piagetian A not B task by placing one of two identical targets (lids) inside a sand box. Twenty normally developing infants (ND) (mean age of 27,3 l 3.82 months), and twenty children with mental retardation (MR) (mean age of 55.62 l 9.24 months) were authorized by their parents to take part in this study. While performing the A not B sand box task, all participants were videotaped with three cameras. A section experiment shows results confirming that the MR group perseverated throughout all trials. The MR group decoupled looking at the targets from the reaching gesture, while ND group kept lookingreaching coupled ... (Complete abstract click eletronic access below)

Perception-action (P-A) learning is an approach to cognitive system building that seeks to reduce the complexity associated with conventional environment-representation/action-planning approaches. Instead, actions are directly mapped onto the perceptual transitions that they bring about, eliminating the need for intermediate representation and significantly reducing training requirements. We here set out a very general learning framework for cognitive systems in which online learning of the P-A mapping may be conducted within a symbolic processing context, so that complex contextual reasoning can influence the P-A mapping. In utilizing a variational calculus approach to define a suitable objective function, the P-A mapping can be treated as an online learning problem via gradient descent using partial derivatives. Our central theoretical result is to demonstrate top-down modulation of low-level perceptual confidences via the Jacobian of the higher levels of a subsumptive P-A hierarchy. Thus, the separation of the Jacobian as a multiplying factor between levels within the objective function naturally enables the integration of abstract symbolic manipulation in the form of fuzzy deductive logic into the P-A mapping learning. We experimentally demonstrate that the resulting framework achieves significantly better accuracy than using P-A learning without top-down modulation. We also demonstrate that it permits novel forms of context-dependent multilevel P-A mapping, applying the mechanism in the context of an intelligent driver assistance system. / DIPLECS / GARNICS / CUAS

Ce travail a pour objet d'étude l'émergence d'effets d'affordance dans la schizophrénie. En effet, les troubles de l'action, observés chez les patients schizophrènes, pourraient être la conséquence d'un déficit de l'intégration sensorimotrice, ne permettant pas le couplage entre perception et action. En lien avec les théories de la cognition incarnée et située, nous avons fait l'hypothèse que l'enrichissement de la situation puisse permette l'émergence de ce lien dans cette population. Pour ce faire, nous avons décliné 5 expériences qui utilisent le paradigme SRC (Stimulus-Response-Compatibility). L'expérience 2 se focalise sur l'intégration visuo-spatiale, tandis que les 4 autres portent sur l'effet de potentialisation des actions lors de la perception d'objets manipulables (Tucker & Ellis, 1998), selon différentes conditions: sans amorçage (expérience 1), avec amorçage renforçant le sentiment de propriété des objets (expérience 3) ou les buts de l'action (expérience 4) et avec amorçage moteur (expérience 5). Nos résultats mettent en évidence l'émergence d'un effet de compatibilité visuo-spatiale (expérience 2) et sensorimotrice (expérience 1), dans le groupe de témoins. Toutefois, cet effet n'est pas retrouvé lorsque l'amorçage est incongruent avec les objets présentés (expériences 3 et 4) ou lorsqu'il implique un amorçage moteur (expérience 5). Dans le groupe de patients schizophrènes, bien que l'effet de compatibilité visuo-spatiale soit mis en évidence (expérience 2), l'effet de compatibilité sensorimotrice n'est retrouvé que lorsque la perception des objets est précédée d'une préparation motrice (expérience 5). Ces résultats sont discutés à la lueur des connaissances issues des théories de la cognition incarnée et située, et des travaux centrés sur les troubles de l'action retrouvés dans la schizophrénie.

Living beings, robotic and software artefacts can all be seen as agents acting and perceiving within an environment. When observed under that perspective, a new concept is accessible: information in the sense of Shannon. It has long been known that information and control are interrelated concepts. However it is only recently that this perspective has been better understood and used in order to study cognition. In this thesis, we build upon such an information-theoretic perspective and add some biologically motivated assumptions. They introduce various constraints on the capture, the processing, or the storage of information by an agent. Using such constraints it is possible to understand some limits on the control abilities of agents, and to derive algorithms that optimize these abilities. More specifically this thesis uses the recently introduced concept of empowerment, i.e. the ability to act upon the environment and perceive back the changes through the sensors. Maximizing this quantity leads to a wide range of cognitively interesting properties. This work studies some of these properties. One of them, the ability to capture information that is relevant for the perception-action loop of the agent, is deeply investigated and algorithms for exploiting this ability are presented. The second part of the thesis deals with the use of the information-theoretic framework when multiple agents are interacting with each other. Empowerment maximization in this context leads to two phenomena: the generation of complex structures, and the emergence of synchronised and potentially cooperative interactions. In this thesis, the first phenomenon is empirically investigated through various spatial scenarios in order to understand the kind of structures that are generated and under which conditions they appear. Connections are made between the second phenomenon and the concept of the multiple-access channel. Using recent developments of this information-theoretic model, it is possible to precisely study the kind of interactions that can occur, and the situations that lead to synchronised or cooperative behaviour. The general aim of this work is to give a comprehensive picture of the information-theoretic framework for studying the perception-action loop, bringing both single and multi-agents aspects together. The concepts presented in this thesis allows one to study some fundamental aspects of cognition, to engineer self-motivated robotic systems, or to drive self-organization in multi-agents systems.

O objetivo desse estudo foi verificar os efeitos da manipulação de informação, visual proveniente de uma sala móvel, verbal fornecida sobre o movimento da sala e sobre uma ação solicitada, na oscilação corporal em crianças e adultos. Participaram deste estudo 20 crianças e 20 adultos jovens, que permaneceram na posição ereta dentro de uma sala móvel. Os resultados revelaram que a dinâmica intrínseca do sistema, referente ao relacionamento entre informação visual e oscilação corporal, não é facilmente modificada pela informação comportamental. A manipulação dos tipos de informação verbal, sobre movimento da sala e solicitação de uma ação, altera o relacionamento entre informação visual e oscilação corporal na situação da sala móvel. Entretanto, esta alteração requer atuação contínua do participante e, ainda, a solicitação de uma ação é mais efetiva nesta alteração do que somente a informação sobre o que está ocorrendo. Finalmente, há mudanças desenvolvimentais em como estas diferentes informações são utilizadas para o controle de uma ação motora. Enquanto adultos jovens utilizam as informações fornecidas de forma mais adequada para a ação solicitada, crianças apresentam dificuldade em utilizar a informação fornecida ou realizar uma ação solicitada frente à dinâmica intrínseca do sistema. / The purpose of this study was to verify the effects of the manipulation of information, visual from a moving room, verbal informing about the movement of the room and about a requested action, in body sway of children and adults. Participated of this study 20 children and 20 young adults, who stood upright inside of a moving room. The results revealed that the system intrinsic dynamics, regarding the relationship between visual information and body sway, is not easily modified by behavioral information. The manipulation of the types of verbal information, about the moving room?s movement and requesting a specific action, alters the relationship between visual information and body sway in the moving room situation. However, this change requires the participant\'s continuous attention and, moreover, requesting an action is more effective than only the information about what is happening. Finally, there are behavioral changes in how these different types of information are used for the control of a motor action. While young adults use the provided information in a more appropriate way to perform the requested action, children show difficulty in order to use the provided information or to accomplish an action requested due to the intrinsic dynamics of the system.

Orientador: Maria Eunice Quilici Gonzalez / Banca: Mariana Carmem Broens / Banca: Alfredo Pereira Júnior / Banca: Ítala M. L. D'Ottaviano / Banca: Elias Humberto Alves / Resumo: Dois são os objetivos desta tese: o primeiro é discutir os pressupostos epistemológicos subjacentes à concepção internalista da mente que enfatiza a mediação representacional entre o sujeito do conhecimento e o mundo. O segundo consiste em propor e debater a hipótese epistemológica (H), de acordo com a qual há percepção direta das invariâncias no comportamento sócio-cultural. Inicialmente, discute-se o método de análise e síntese cartesiano, questionando sua adequação para o estudo da percepção-ação. Especial ênfase é dada às críticas de Ryle ao método cartesiano de análise que possibilita a geração de erros categoriais em sua aplicação no estudo do conhecimento perceptual. Uma alternativa à perspectiva representacionista da percepção é apresentada por meio da Teoria da Percepção Direta (TPD), proposta por Gibson, aplicando-a também à análise do comportamento sócio-cultural. Algumas dificuldades são encontradas na execução de tal intento; entre elas está a questão da autonomia dos indivíduos. Uma possível solução a este problema é elaborada, ressaltando os aspectos das variâncias relacionais dos indivíduos com o meio ambiente, encontradas juntamente com as invariantes estruturais e transformacionais. As invariantes como as variantes constituem as especificidades da interação entre indivíduo e meio ambiente delineando a personalidade individual. / Abstract: This thesis has two aims: the first is to discuss epistemological presuppositions underlying the internalist conception of mind that emphasizes the representational mediation between a knowing subject and the world. The second consists in proposing and debating the Epistemological Hypothesis (H), according to which there is a Direct Perception of Invariances in Social-Cultural Behavior. At first the methodology of Cartesian analysis and synthesis is discussed, questioning its adequacy to the study of action-perception. Special attention is giving to Ryle’s criticism of the Cartesian method of analysis that allows the generation of categorical mistakes, applied to the study of perceptual knowledge. An alternative to representational perception is shown to be the Theory of Direct Perception (TPD), proposed by Gibson, which will be applied to the analysis of socialcultural behavior. Some difficulties are discovered during this project; among them is the problem of personal autonomy. A possible solution for that problem is to emphasize the relational variances between individuals and their environment, these variances occur together with the structural and transformational invariances. The invariants as well as variants form the specifics of the interaction between individual and environment, and thereby shape the personal autonomy. / Doutor