Interactive Inference and the Potential Energy of Actions
In this talk, Prof. dr. Vertegaal will be discussing a new theory for the design of interactive systems based on cognitive neuroscience, called Interactive Inference. Derived from Active Inference theory, it elegantly explains how users process tasks by first predicting the world around them, then choosing to learn or act when their predictions do not correspond with their observations. Prof. Vertegaal will discuss how quantifying the amount of surprise in a task can produce elegant behavioural laws that appear to be governing user performance and error, including Fitts’ Law. Surprise is the amount of information processed when performing a task that brings the world closer to the state you predicted. In this talk, he will show how it appears to also function as a physics equation, e.g., describing potential energy when planning movements. He will conclude with some examples of how the study of surprise might lead to more intelligent interactive systems.