Dissociating dynamic probability and predictability in observed actions-an fMRI study.

ABSTRACT: The present fMRI study investigated whether human observers spontaneously exploit the statistical structure underlying continuous action sequences. In particular, we tested whether two different statistical properties can be distinguished with regard to their neural correlates: an action step's predictability and its probability. To assess these properties we used measures from information theory. Predictability of action steps was operationalized by its inverse, conditional entropy, which combines the number of possible action steps with their respective probabilities. Probability of action steps was assessed using conditional surprisal, which increases with decreasing probability. Participants were trained in an action observation paradigm with video clips showing sequences of 9-33 s len

SUBMITTER: Ahlheim C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4019881 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature