Faculty
Social Science
Supervisor Name
Dr. Paul Gribble
Keywords
motor learning, adaptation, force channel, forcefield, robotic manipulandum
Description
Our project is looking at the phenomenon of observational motor learning using a two-joint robotic manipulandum (robotic arm). When someone learns a new motor skill (i.e. throwing a football to a wide receiver) the brain must make and map an internal model of the forces required for that movement. The plasticity of the brain in constructing these representations is termed “motor learning” and can occur through physical practice or—for the purposes of our investigation—observation. Previous studies have used videos of human actors learning new skills to drive motor learning in the observer, however, it is not known what components of the visual stimuli used are necessary for this learning. For instance, would viewing an animated representation of a human, instead of a real human, also elicit learning? In our study, we recruited human subjects to complete reaching tasks using the robotic apparatus. It is hypothesized that observing a computer-generated video of an animated, human-like tutor learning to reach in a forcefield would elicit motor learning in human participants. It is also hypothesized that observing a video of a tutor learning to reach in a forcefield without structural features (i.e. arm or torso) would also elicit motor learning in the observer. Adaptive force changes following video observation would be indicative of learning.
Acknowledgements
A special thanks to Dr. Paul Gribble and Natalia Mangos for their immense assistance and support in this project. Thank you also to the coordinators of the Undergraduate Summer Research Internship program.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Document Type
Poster
Included in
Clinical Psychology Commons, Cognition and Perception Commons, Other Medical Sciences Commons
Motor learning by observing the movements of a computer-animated, human-like actor and a non-limb observational video
Our project is looking at the phenomenon of observational motor learning using a two-joint robotic manipulandum (robotic arm). When someone learns a new motor skill (i.e. throwing a football to a wide receiver) the brain must make and map an internal model of the forces required for that movement. The plasticity of the brain in constructing these representations is termed “motor learning” and can occur through physical practice or—for the purposes of our investigation—observation. Previous studies have used videos of human actors learning new skills to drive motor learning in the observer, however, it is not known what components of the visual stimuli used are necessary for this learning. For instance, would viewing an animated representation of a human, instead of a real human, also elicit learning? In our study, we recruited human subjects to complete reaching tasks using the robotic apparatus. It is hypothesized that observing a computer-generated video of an animated, human-like tutor learning to reach in a forcefield would elicit motor learning in human participants. It is also hypothesized that observing a video of a tutor learning to reach in a forcefield without structural features (i.e. arm or torso) would also elicit motor learning in the observer. Adaptive force changes following video observation would be indicative of learning.