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Getting stuck in a rut as an emergent feature of a dynamic decision-making system

View ORCID ProfileMatthew Warburton, Jack Brookes, Mohamed Hasan, Matteo Leonetti, Mehmet Dogar, He Wang, Anthony G. Cohn, View ORCID ProfileFaisal Mushtaq, Mark A. Mon-Williams
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.06.02.127860
Matthew Warburton
1School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
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Jack Brookes
1School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
2Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Mohamed Hasan
3School of Computing, University of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
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Matteo Leonetti
3School of Computing, University of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
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Mehmet Dogar
3School of Computing, University of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
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He Wang
3School of Computing, University of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
4Centre for Immersive Technologies, University of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
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Anthony G. Cohn
3School of Computing, University of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
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Faisal Mushtaq
1School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
4Centre for Immersive Technologies, University of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
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  • For correspondence: f.mushtaq@leeds.ac.uk
Mark A. Mon-Williams
1School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
4Centre for Immersive Technologies, University of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
5Centre for Applied Education Research, Wolfson Centre for Applied Health Research, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK
6National Centre for Optics, Vision and Eye Care, University of South-Eastern Norway, Kongsberg, Hasbergs vei 36, 3616, Norway
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Abstract

Human sensorimotor decision-making has a tendency to get ‘stuck in a rut’, being biased towards selecting a previously implemented action structure (‘hysteresis’). Existing explanations cannot provide a principled account of when hysteresis will occur. We propose that hysteresis is an emergent property of a dynamical system learning from the consequences of its actions. To examine this, 152 participants moved a cursor to a target on a tablet device whilst avoiding an obstacle. Hysteresis was observed when the obstacle moved sequentially across the screen between trials, but not with random obstacle placement. Two further experiments (n = 20) showed an attenuation when time and resource constraints were eased. We created a simple computational model capturing dynamic probabilistic estimate updating that showed the same patterns of results. This provides the first computational demonstration of how sensorimotor decision-making can get ‘stuck in a rut’ through the dynamic updating of its probability estimates.

Significance Statement Humans show a bias to select the organisational structure of a recently carried out action, even when an alternative option is available with lower costs. This ‘hysteresis’ is said to be more efficient than creating a new plan and it has been interpreted as a ‘design feature’ within decision-making systems. We suggest such teleological arguments are redundant, with hysteresis being a naturally emergent property of a dynamic control system that evolved to operate effectively in an uncertain and partially observable world. Empirical experimentation and simulations from a ‘first principle’ computational model of decision-making were consistent with our hypothesis. The identification of such a mechanism can inform robotics research, suggesting how robotic agents can show human-like flexibility in complex dynamic environments.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Posted June 03, 2020.
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Getting stuck in a rut as an emergent feature of a dynamic decision-making system
Matthew Warburton, Jack Brookes, Mohamed Hasan, Matteo Leonetti, Mehmet Dogar, He Wang, Anthony G. Cohn, Faisal Mushtaq, Mark A. Mon-Williams
bioRxiv 2020.06.02.127860; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.06.02.127860
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Getting stuck in a rut as an emergent feature of a dynamic decision-making system
Matthew Warburton, Jack Brookes, Mohamed Hasan, Matteo Leonetti, Mehmet Dogar, He Wang, Anthony G. Cohn, Faisal Mushtaq, Mark A. Mon-Williams
bioRxiv 2020.06.02.127860; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.06.02.127860

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