A robotic approach to understanding the role and the mechanism of vicarious trial-and-error in a T-maze task.

ABSTRACT: Vicarious trial-and-error (VTE) is a behavior observed in rat experiments that seems to suggest self-conflict. This behavior is seen mainly when the rats are uncertain about making a decision. The presence of VTE is regarded as an indicator of a deliberative decision-making process, that is, searching, predicting, and evaluating outcomes. This process is slower than automated decision-making processes, such as reflex or habituation, but it allows for flexible and ongoing control of behavior. In this study, we propose for the first time a robotic model of VTE to see if VTE can emerge just from a body-environment interaction and to show the underlying mechanism responsible for the observation of VTE and the advantages provided by it. We tried several robots with different parameters, and we

SUBMITTER: Matsuda E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4106851 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature