Microgravity induces overconfidence in perceptual decision-making
Abstract Does gravity affect decision-making? This question comes into sharp focus as plans for interplanetary human space missions solidify. In the framework of Bayesian brain theories, gravity encapsulates a strong prior, anchoring agents to a reference frame via the vestibular system, informing t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-36775-0 |
| _version_ | 1827922997600583680 |
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| author | Leyla Loued-Khenissi Christian Pfeiffer Rupal Saxena Shivam Adarsh Davide Scaramuzza |
| author_facet | Leyla Loued-Khenissi Christian Pfeiffer Rupal Saxena Shivam Adarsh Davide Scaramuzza |
| author_sort | Leyla Loued-Khenissi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Does gravity affect decision-making? This question comes into sharp focus as plans for interplanetary human space missions solidify. In the framework of Bayesian brain theories, gravity encapsulates a strong prior, anchoring agents to a reference frame via the vestibular system, informing their decisions and possibly their integration of uncertainty. What happens when such a strong prior is altered? We address this question using a self-motion estimation task in a space analog environment under conditions of altered gravity. Two participants were cast as remote drone operators orbiting Mars in a virtual reality environment on board a parabolic flight, where both hyper- and microgravity conditions were induced. From a first-person perspective, participants viewed a drone exiting a cave and had to first predict a collision and then provide a confidence estimate of their response. We evoked uncertainty in the task by manipulating the motion’s trajectory angle. Post-decision subjective confidence reports were negatively predicted by stimulus uncertainty, as expected. Uncertainty alone did not impact overt behavioral responses (performance, choice) differentially across gravity conditions. However microgravity predicted higher subjective confidence, especially in interaction with stimulus uncertainty. These results suggest that variables relating to uncertainty affect decision-making distinctly in microgravity, highlighting the possible need for automatized, compensatory mechanisms when considering human factors in space research. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:50:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-53b2df869f0044eba5be20de62ef24ee |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:50:23Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-53b2df869f0044eba5be20de62ef24ee2023-06-18T11:14:26ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-06-0113111410.1038/s41598-023-36775-0Microgravity induces overconfidence in perceptual decision-makingLeyla Loued-Khenissi0Christian Pfeiffer1Rupal Saxena2Shivam Adarsh3Davide Scaramuzza4Laboratory for Behavioral Neurology and Imaging of Cognition, Neuroscience Department, Medical School, University of GenevaRobotics and Perception Group, University of ZurichRobotics and Perception Group, University of ZurichRobotics and Perception Group, University of ZurichRobotics and Perception Group, University of ZurichAbstract Does gravity affect decision-making? This question comes into sharp focus as plans for interplanetary human space missions solidify. In the framework of Bayesian brain theories, gravity encapsulates a strong prior, anchoring agents to a reference frame via the vestibular system, informing their decisions and possibly their integration of uncertainty. What happens when such a strong prior is altered? We address this question using a self-motion estimation task in a space analog environment under conditions of altered gravity. Two participants were cast as remote drone operators orbiting Mars in a virtual reality environment on board a parabolic flight, where both hyper- and microgravity conditions were induced. From a first-person perspective, participants viewed a drone exiting a cave and had to first predict a collision and then provide a confidence estimate of their response. We evoked uncertainty in the task by manipulating the motion’s trajectory angle. Post-decision subjective confidence reports were negatively predicted by stimulus uncertainty, as expected. Uncertainty alone did not impact overt behavioral responses (performance, choice) differentially across gravity conditions. However microgravity predicted higher subjective confidence, especially in interaction with stimulus uncertainty. These results suggest that variables relating to uncertainty affect decision-making distinctly in microgravity, highlighting the possible need for automatized, compensatory mechanisms when considering human factors in space research.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-36775-0 |
| spellingShingle | Leyla Loued-Khenissi Christian Pfeiffer Rupal Saxena Shivam Adarsh Davide Scaramuzza Microgravity induces overconfidence in perceptual decision-making Scientific Reports |
| title | Microgravity induces overconfidence in perceptual decision-making |
| title_full | Microgravity induces overconfidence in perceptual decision-making |
| title_fullStr | Microgravity induces overconfidence in perceptual decision-making |
| title_full_unstemmed | Microgravity induces overconfidence in perceptual decision-making |
| title_short | Microgravity induces overconfidence in perceptual decision-making |
| title_sort | microgravity induces overconfidence in perceptual decision making |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-36775-0 |
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