Perception And Action In A Social Context

Even the simplest social interactions require us to gather, integrate, and act upon, multiple streams of information about others and our surroundings. In this Element, we discuss how perceptual processes provide us with an accurate account of action-relevant information in social contexts. We overview contemporary theories and research that explores how: (1) individuals perceive others' mental states and actions, (2) individuals perceive affordances for themselves, others, and the dyad, and (3) how social contexts guide our attention to modulate what we perceive. Finally, we review work on the cognitive mechanisms that make joint action possible and discuss their links to perception.

"Perception is not something that happens to us, or in us," writes Alva Noë. "It is something we do." In Action in Perception, Noë argues that perception and perceptual consciousness depend on capacities for action and thought—that perception is a kind of thoughtful activity. Touch, not vision, should be our model for perception. Perception is not a process in the brain, but a kind of skillful activity of the body as a whole. We enact our perceptual experience. To perceive, according to this enactive approach to perception, is not merely to have sensations; it is to have sensations that we understand. In Action in Perception, Noë investigates the forms this understanding can take. He begins by arguing, on both phenomenological and empirical grounds, that the content of perception is not like the content of a picture; the world is not given to consciousness all at once but is gained gradually by active inquiry and exploration. Noë then argues that perceptual experience acquires content thanks to our possession and exercise of practical bodily knowledge, and examines, among other topics, the problems posed by spatial content and the experience of color. He considers the perspectival aspect of the representational content of experience and assesses the place of thought and understanding in experience. Finally, he explores the implications of the enactive approach for our understanding of the neuroscience of perception.

Even as simple a task as quenching thirst with a glass of water involves a sequence of perceptions and actions woven together by expectations and experience. What are the myriad links between perception and action, and what does cognition have to do with them? Intuitively we think that perception precedes action, but we also know that action moulds perception. The reciprocal links between perception and action are now accepted almost universally. The discovery of mirror neurons that encode observed actions has further emphasized the coupling of perception and action. The real aim of this research topic is to go beyond identifying the evidence for perception-action coupling, and study the cognitive entities and processes that influence the perception-action link. For example, the internal representations of perceived and produced events are created and modified through experience. Yet the perception action link is considered relatively automatic. To what extent is the perception-action link affected by representations and their manipulations by cognitive processes? Does selective attention modify the perception action coupling? How, and to what extent, does the context provide sources of cognitive control? The developmental trajectory of the perception-action link and the influence of cognition at various stages of development could be another line of important evidence. The responses to these and other such questions contribute to our understanding of this research area with significant implications for perception-action coupling.

This book provides a detailed review of much of the existing research on visual perception and sports performance. It summarises and integrates the findings of up to five hundred articles from areas as diverse as cognitive and ecological psychology.

Athletes are dependent upon a constant supply of accurate and reliable information from the environment whilst performing complex movements. Visual Perception and Action in Sport examines the information which is perceived by the human visual system and the way it is utilised to support actions in sport. It focuses attention on the rich diversity of sport-related studies drawn together from a number of theoretical approaches. Divided into three sections, this book covers: * indirect theories of perception and action * direct theories of perception and action * skill acquisition in the sports context. Each of the sections features learning objectives, summary, and study questions to help facilitate student learning. Throughout the text, the integration of theoretical knowledge and practical expertise is emphasised. All three authors are specialists have expertise in the teaching and researching of motor learning and control in sport.

An orientation to affective neuroscience as it relates to educators. In this ground-breaking collection, Mary Helen Immordino-Yang—an affective neuroscientist, human development psychologist, and former public school teacher—presents a decade of work with the potential to revolutionize educational theory and practice by deeply enriching our understanding of the complex connection between emotion and learning. With her signature talent for explaining and interpreting neuroscientific findings in practical, teacher-relevant terms, Immordino-Yang offers two simple but profound ideas: first, that emotions are such powerful motivators of learning because they activate brain mechanisms that originally evolved to manage our basic survival; and second, that meaningful thinking and learning are inherently emotional, because we only think deeply about things we care about. Together, these insights suggest that in order to motivate students for academic learning, produce deep understanding, and ensure the transfer of educational experiences into real-world skills and careers, educators must find ways to leverage the emotional aspects of learning. Immordino-Yang has both the gift for captivating readers with her research and the ability to connect this research to everyday learning and teaching. She examines true stories of learning success with relentless curiosity and an illuminating mixture of the scientific and the human. What are feelings, and how does the brain support them? What role do feelings play in the brain's learning process? This book unpacks these crucial questions and many more, including the neurobiological, developmental, and evolutionary origins of creativity, facts and myths about mirror neurons, and how the perspective of social and affective neuroscience can inform the design of learning technologies.

This volume addresses context from three comprehensive perspectives: first, its importance, the issues surrounding context, and its value in the laboratory and the field; second, the theory guiding the AI used to model its context; and third, its applications in the field (e.g., decision-making). This breadth poses a challenge. The book analyzes how the environment (context) influences human perception, cognition and action. While current books approach context narrowly, the major contribution of this book is to provide an in-depth review over a broad range of topics for a computational context no matter its breadth. The volume outlines numerous strategies and techniques from world-class scientists who have adapted their research to solve different problems with AI, in difficult environments and complex domains to address the many computational challenges posed by context. Context can be clear, uncertain or an illusion. Clear contexts: A father praising his child; a trip to the post office to buy stamps; a policewoman asking for identification. Uncertain contexts: A sneak attack; a surprise witness in a courtroom; a shout of "Fire! Fire!" Contexts as illusion: Humans fall prey to illusions that machines do not (Adelson’s checkerboard illusion versus a photometer). Determining context is not easy when disagreement exists, interpretations vary, or uncertainty reigns. Physicists like Einstein (relativity), Bekenstein (holographs) and Rovelli (universe) have written that reality is not what we commonly believe. Even outside of awareness, individuals act differently whether alone or in teams. Can computational context with AI adapt to clear and uncertain contexts, to change over time, and to individuals, machines or robots as well as to teams? If a program automatically "knows" the context that improves performance or decisions, does it matter whether context is clear, uncertain or illusory? Written and edited by world class leaders from across the field of autonomous systems research, this volume carefully considers the computational systems being constructed to determine context for individual agents or teams, the challenges they face, and the advances they expect for the science of context.