SP-05 – Social Motorics

This project explores the sensorimotor and cognitive mechanisms underlying the dynamic coordination of interaction partners. In previous work, we have separately developed models for Bayesian hierarchical gesture perception as well as cognitively based speech-gesture production. Here we aim at integrating these accounts in a model of the so-called Social Brain, of both mirroring and mentalizing processes. The goal is a probabilistic and hierarchical sensorimotor model that grounds perception, production and inter-agent coordination on principles of predictive processing, free-energy minimization and active inference, in a close coupling of perception and production processes.

Media

CITEC News, 2017

Publications

In this postdoc project by Dr. Zeynep Barlas, we conduct studies to investigate the underlying mechanisms of the sense of agency, i.e. the sense that one is in control of their actions and the consequences of these actions. In particular, these studies examine whether and how movement related and contextual factors contribute to the sense of agency through predictive and postdictive processes. We employ behavioral methodologies established in both physical and virtual reality environments, and also examine how sense of ownership and sense of agency alter in joint actions with robots and virtual agents.

The interdisciplinary graduate school “FlüGe – Opportunities and challenges that global refugee migration presents for health care in Germany” investigates the health of refugees and aims to identify and to overcome barriers that keep them from using health care services. We contribute by developing and evaluating an eHealth companion app for refugees to help them navigate the German health care system, to enable easier self-monitoring of their health status, and to actively support therapeutical interventions.