George Houghton | Bangor University (original) (raw)
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Papers by George Houghton
Journal of Neurophysiology, 2021
Sequence planning is an integral part of motor sequence control. Here, we demonstrate that the co... more Sequence planning is an integral part of motor sequence control. Here, we demonstrate that the competitive state of sequential movements during sequence planning can be read out behaviorally through movement probes. We show that position-dependent differences in movement availability during planning reflect sequence preparedness and skill but not the timing of the planned sequence. Behavioral access to the preparatory state of movements may serve as a marker of sequence planning capacity.
SummaryHumans can learn and retrieve novel skilled movement sequences from memory, yet the conten... more SummaryHumans can learn and retrieve novel skilled movement sequences from memory, yet the content and structure of sequence planning are not well understood. Previous computational and neurophysiological work suggests that actions in a sequence are planned as parallel graded activations and selected for output through competition (competitive queuing; CQ). However, the relevance of CQ during planning to sequence fluency and accuracy, as opposed to sequence timing, is unclear. To resolve this question, we assessed the competitive state of constituent actions behaviourally during sequence preparation. In three separate multi-session experiments, 55 healthy participants were trained to retrieve and produce 4-finger sequences with particular timing from long-term memory. In addition to sequence production, we evaluated reaction time (RT) and error rate increase to constituent action probes at several points during the preparation period. Our results demonstrate that longer preparation ...
In 1951, Lashley highlighted the importance of serial order for the brain and behavioural science... more In 1951, Lashley highlighted the importance of serial order for the brain and behavioural sciences. He considered the response chaining account untenable and proposed an alternative employing parallel response activation and "schemata for action". Subsequently, much has been learned about sequential behaviour, particularly in the linguistic domain. We argue that these developments support Lashley's picture, and recent computational models compatible with it are described. The models are developed in a series of steps, beginning with the basic problem of parallel response competition and its possible resolution into serial action. At each stage, important limitations of the previous models are identified and simple additions proposed to overcome them, including the provision of learning mechanisms. Each type of model is compared with relevant data, and the importance of error data is emphasized. Taken together, the models constitute a unified approach to serial order wh...
Psychological review, 2018
There is strong evidence that reading and spelling in alphabetical scripts depend on a shared rep... more There is strong evidence that reading and spelling in alphabetical scripts depend on a shared representation (common-coding). However, computational models usually treat the two skills separately, producing a wide variety of proposals as to how the identity and position of letters is represented. This article treats reading and spelling in terms of the common-coding hypothesis for perception-action coupling. Empirical evidence for common representations in spelling-reading is reviewed. A novel version of the Start-End Competitive Queuing (SE-CQ) spelling model is introduced, and tested against the distribution of positional errors in Letter Position Dysgraphia, data from intralist intrusion errors in spelling to dictation, and dysgraphia because of nonperipheral neglect. It is argued that no other current model is equally capable of explaining this range of data. To pursue the common-coding hypothesis, the representation used in SE-CQ is applied, without modification, to the coding ...
... Concepts, and Categories Koen Lamberts & David Shanks (Eds.) Attention Harold Pas... more ... Concepts, and Categories Koen Lamberts & David Shanks (Eds.) Attention Harold Pashler (Ed.) Cognitive Neuroscience Michael D. Rugg Aspects of Language Production Linda Wheeldon (Ed.) The Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory Amanda Parker, Edward L. Wilding & ...
Psyche, 1995
ABSTRACT: In 1951, Lashley highlighted the importance of serial order for the brain and behaviour... more ABSTRACT: In 1951, Lashley highlighted the importance of serial order for the brain and behavioural sciences. He considered the response chaining account untenable and proposed an alternative employing parallel response activation and" schemata for action". ...
Journal of Experimental Psychology Learning Memory and Cognition, Jul 1, 2010
The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, Mar 1, 2009
Workshops in Computing, 1995
Perspectives in Neural Computing, 1998
Task Switching and Cognitive Control, 2014
Perspectives in Neural Computing, 1999
ABSTRACT One thing that separates human beings from the rest of the animal world is our ability t... more ABSTRACT One thing that separates human beings from the rest of the animal world is our ability to control behavior by referencing internal plans, goals, and rules. This ability, which is crucial to our success in a complex social environment, depends on the purposeful generation of "task sets"—states of mental readiness that allow each of us to engage with the world in a particular way or achieve a particular aim. This book reports the latest research regarding the activation, maintenance, and suppression of task sets. Chapters from many of the world's leading researchers in task switching and cognitive control investigate key issues in the field, from how we select the most relevant task when presented with distracting alternatives, to how we maintain focus on a task ("eyes on the prize") and switch to a new one when our goals or external circumstances change. Chapters also explore the brain structures responsible for these abilities, how they develop during childhood, and whether they decline due to normal aging or neurological disorders. Of interest especially to scholars and students of cognitive psychology, the volume offers thorough, multi-disciplinary coverage of contemporary research and theories concerning this fundamental yet mysterious aspect of human brain function and behavior.
Journal of Neurophysiology, 2021
Sequence planning is an integral part of motor sequence control. Here, we demonstrate that the co... more Sequence planning is an integral part of motor sequence control. Here, we demonstrate that the competitive state of sequential movements during sequence planning can be read out behaviorally through movement probes. We show that position-dependent differences in movement availability during planning reflect sequence preparedness and skill but not the timing of the planned sequence. Behavioral access to the preparatory state of movements may serve as a marker of sequence planning capacity.
SummaryHumans can learn and retrieve novel skilled movement sequences from memory, yet the conten... more SummaryHumans can learn and retrieve novel skilled movement sequences from memory, yet the content and structure of sequence planning are not well understood. Previous computational and neurophysiological work suggests that actions in a sequence are planned as parallel graded activations and selected for output through competition (competitive queuing; CQ). However, the relevance of CQ during planning to sequence fluency and accuracy, as opposed to sequence timing, is unclear. To resolve this question, we assessed the competitive state of constituent actions behaviourally during sequence preparation. In three separate multi-session experiments, 55 healthy participants were trained to retrieve and produce 4-finger sequences with particular timing from long-term memory. In addition to sequence production, we evaluated reaction time (RT) and error rate increase to constituent action probes at several points during the preparation period. Our results demonstrate that longer preparation ...
In 1951, Lashley highlighted the importance of serial order for the brain and behavioural science... more In 1951, Lashley highlighted the importance of serial order for the brain and behavioural sciences. He considered the response chaining account untenable and proposed an alternative employing parallel response activation and "schemata for action". Subsequently, much has been learned about sequential behaviour, particularly in the linguistic domain. We argue that these developments support Lashley's picture, and recent computational models compatible with it are described. The models are developed in a series of steps, beginning with the basic problem of parallel response competition and its possible resolution into serial action. At each stage, important limitations of the previous models are identified and simple additions proposed to overcome them, including the provision of learning mechanisms. Each type of model is compared with relevant data, and the importance of error data is emphasized. Taken together, the models constitute a unified approach to serial order wh...
Psychological review, 2018
There is strong evidence that reading and spelling in alphabetical scripts depend on a shared rep... more There is strong evidence that reading and spelling in alphabetical scripts depend on a shared representation (common-coding). However, computational models usually treat the two skills separately, producing a wide variety of proposals as to how the identity and position of letters is represented. This article treats reading and spelling in terms of the common-coding hypothesis for perception-action coupling. Empirical evidence for common representations in spelling-reading is reviewed. A novel version of the Start-End Competitive Queuing (SE-CQ) spelling model is introduced, and tested against the distribution of positional errors in Letter Position Dysgraphia, data from intralist intrusion errors in spelling to dictation, and dysgraphia because of nonperipheral neglect. It is argued that no other current model is equally capable of explaining this range of data. To pursue the common-coding hypothesis, the representation used in SE-CQ is applied, without modification, to the coding ...
... Concepts, and Categories Koen Lamberts & David Shanks (Eds.) Attention Harold Pas... more ... Concepts, and Categories Koen Lamberts & David Shanks (Eds.) Attention Harold Pashler (Ed.) Cognitive Neuroscience Michael D. Rugg Aspects of Language Production Linda Wheeldon (Ed.) The Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory Amanda Parker, Edward L. Wilding & ...
Psyche, 1995
ABSTRACT: In 1951, Lashley highlighted the importance of serial order for the brain and behaviour... more ABSTRACT: In 1951, Lashley highlighted the importance of serial order for the brain and behavioural sciences. He considered the response chaining account untenable and proposed an alternative employing parallel response activation and" schemata for action". ...
Journal of Experimental Psychology Learning Memory and Cognition, Jul 1, 2010
The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, Mar 1, 2009
Workshops in Computing, 1995
Perspectives in Neural Computing, 1998
Task Switching and Cognitive Control, 2014
Perspectives in Neural Computing, 1999
ABSTRACT One thing that separates human beings from the rest of the animal world is our ability t... more ABSTRACT One thing that separates human beings from the rest of the animal world is our ability to control behavior by referencing internal plans, goals, and rules. This ability, which is crucial to our success in a complex social environment, depends on the purposeful generation of "task sets"—states of mental readiness that allow each of us to engage with the world in a particular way or achieve a particular aim. This book reports the latest research regarding the activation, maintenance, and suppression of task sets. Chapters from many of the world's leading researchers in task switching and cognitive control investigate key issues in the field, from how we select the most relevant task when presented with distracting alternatives, to how we maintain focus on a task ("eyes on the prize") and switch to a new one when our goals or external circumstances change. Chapters also explore the brain structures responsible for these abilities, how they develop during childhood, and whether they decline due to normal aging or neurological disorders. Of interest especially to scholars and students of cognitive psychology, the volume offers thorough, multi-disciplinary coverage of contemporary research and theories concerning this fundamental yet mysterious aspect of human brain function and behavior.