Acting on the World: Understanding How Agents Use Information to Guide Their Action

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter (peer-reviewed)peer-review

Abstract

Most animals navigate a dynamic and shifting sea of information provided by their environment, their food or prey and other animals. How do they work out, which pieces of information are the most important or of most interest to them, and gather information on those parts to guide their action later? In this essay, I briefly outline what we already know about how animals use information flexibly and efficiently. I then discuss a few of the unsolved problems relating to how animals collect information by directing their attention or exploration selectively, before suggesting some approaches which might be useful in unravelling these problems.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationFrom Animals to Robots and Back: Reflections on Hard Problems in the Study of Cognition
Subtitle of host publicationA Collection in Honour of Aaron Sloman
EditorsJeremy L Wyatt, Dean D Petters, David C Hogg
Place of PublicationSwitzerland
PublisherSpringer
Pages51-64
Volume22
ISBN (Electronic)978-3-319-06614-1
ISBN (Print)978-3-319-06613-4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 11 Jul 2014

Publication series

NameCognitive Systems Monographs
PublisherSpringer
Volume22
ISSN (Print)1867-4925

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