A hierarchical model of operational anticipation windows in driving an automobile

Abstract

Driving an automobile is an example of a goal-directed activity with high complexity in which different behavioral elements have to be integrated and brought into a sequential order. On the basis of the reafference principle and experimental results on temporal perception and cognitive control, we propose a hierarchical model of driving behavior, which can also be adapted to other goal-directed activities. Driving is conceived of as being controlled by anticipatory neuronal programs; if these programs are disrupted by unpredictable stimuli, which require an instantaneous reaction, behavioral control returns after completion of the reactive mode to the anticipatory mode of driving. In the model different levels of anticipation windows are distinguished which, however, are interconnected, in a bi-directional way: (a) Strategic level with a representation of the driving activity from the beginning to reaching the final goal; (b) Segmented tactical level with the sequence of necessary milestones to reach the goal; (c) Maneuver level where actions like passing another car or keeping a lane are controlled; (d) Short-term integration level of a few seconds which allows immediate anticipations; and (e) Synchronization level for sensorimotor control and complexity reduction within neuronal assemblies. A flow diagram schematically describes different driving situations stressing the anticipatory mode of control. In a pilot experiment with 20 subjects using a virtual driving situation in a car simulator predictions of the model could be verified, i.e., subjects showed a significant preference for the anticipatory mode of driving.

Pre-semantically defined temporal windows for cognitive processing

“…If the next stimulus lies too far in the future (such as 5 s), it is not possible to programme an anticipatory movement that is precisely linked to stimulus occurrence; in such a case, movements become irregular and subjects prefer to react to the stimulus instead of anticipating it. This anticipatory mode of information processing has an important impact for everyday behaviour such as driving an automobile; in a hierarchical model of decision processes, Tanida & Pö ppel (2006) have used the concept of pre-semantic temporal integration to better understand goal-directed behaviour.…”

A Model of Anticipation in Driving

“…As such, driving has been argued to be, largely, a highly automated, cognitive task governed by anticipatory brain mechanisms, which in turn rely on the identification of familiar stimuli in the roadway [28]. Only when unfamiliar and unpredictable stimuli appear are those anticipatory mechanisms interrupted and temporarily replaced by reactive acting.…”

“…Tanida and Poeppel [28] argue for different temporal windows of anticipation, ranging from a strategic level that addresses the entire driving activity, to a synchronization level describing near-instantaneous actions of sensorimotor control. We, however, advocate a tighter definition of anticipation that is restricted to the tactical level.…”

Methodological Problems on the Way to Integrative Human Neuroscience

“…Together, this means 30–50 significant psychological categories, whose interrelationships are often unclear. This indicates the need for an integrated taxonomy of mental states and processes that can be constructed on the basis of observational data (e.g., Fodor, 1983; Tanida and Pöppel, 2006). …”