General Tau Theory
Encyclopedia
General tau theory deals with the guidance of bodily movements. All movements of the body, and within the body, require guided closure of action-gaps. An action-gap, generally defined, is the changing gap between a current state and a goal state. Examples are the distance action-gap between the hand and an object, when reaching, the optical action-gap between the images of the hand and target object, the suction action-gap when a baby is drawing in milk, and the pitch action-gap when a singer is sliding between notes. The tau
of an action-gap is the time-to-closure of the action-gap, i.e., the current size of the action-gap divided by its current rate of closure. Tau-coupling means keeping the taus of two action-gaps in constant ratio during a movement.
The theory was developed from work on J. J. Gibson
's notion of ecological invariants in the visual flow-field during a perception-in-action event, and subsequently generalised in the late 1990s to a ubiquitous, amodal theory of perceptuomotor control.
General tau theory considers the organism acting as a unified whole in dynamic relations with its environment, rather than conceiving of the organism as a complex mechanical device reducible into analysable parts. The theory is firmly embedded in ecological thinking, paying attention to both organism and environment, and drawing information from their forms of interaction. Indeed, generalised tau theory has been developed by thinking specifically about the relational, or ecological invariants in engagements between organism and environment. This whole-systems approach is both ethically satisfying and intellectually illuminating to the extent that it offers not only insight into the nature of living, but also offers pragmatic, human benefits in both designing our constructed world (e.g. in cockpit design) and in therapy of movement disorders (e.g. Parkinson's Disease).
arrays and the patterns of flow of electrical energy within the nervous system.
the taus of motion-gaps are sensed, how patterned electrical activity in the brain guides
movement, how space is action-scaled, how actions are fitted into available spatio-temporal slots, how a driver controls braking and steering, how infants guide their
movements, how athletes guide their movements, how musicians create expression by
the way they guide their movements.
Tau
Tau is the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 300.The name in English is pronounced , but in modern Greek it is...
of an action-gap is the time-to-closure of the action-gap, i.e., the current size of the action-gap divided by its current rate of closure. Tau-coupling means keeping the taus of two action-gaps in constant ratio during a movement.
The theory was developed from work on J. J. Gibson
J. J. Gibson
James Jerome Gibson , was an American psychologist, born in McConnelsville, Ohio, who received his Ph.D. from Princeton University's Department of Psychology, and is considered one of the most important 20th century psychologists in the field of visual perception...
's notion of ecological invariants in the visual flow-field during a perception-in-action event, and subsequently generalised in the late 1990s to a ubiquitous, amodal theory of perceptuomotor control.
General tau theory considers the organism acting as a unified whole in dynamic relations with its environment, rather than conceiving of the organism as a complex mechanical device reducible into analysable parts. The theory is firmly embedded in ecological thinking, paying attention to both organism and environment, and drawing information from their forms of interaction. Indeed, generalised tau theory has been developed by thinking specifically about the relational, or ecological invariants in engagements between organism and environment. This whole-systems approach is both ethically satisfying and intellectually illuminating to the extent that it offers not only insight into the nature of living, but also offers pragmatic, human benefits in both designing our constructed world (e.g. in cockpit design) and in therapy of movement disorders (e.g. Parkinson's Disease).
Description
General Tau Theory is the generalised theory of perceptuomotor control devised by Dave N. Lee based on the tau function. It is a theory of prospective guidance of movement. The theory deals with the purposive guidance of bodily movements, including internal movements, by means of the patterns of flow in sensoryarrays and the patterns of flow of electrical energy within the nervous system.
Experiments and Application
Theoretical analyses and experiments offer explanations, through the tau-coupling of motion-gaps, of howthe taus of motion-gaps are sensed, how patterned electrical activity in the brain guides
movement, how space is action-scaled, how actions are fitted into available spatio-temporal slots, how a driver controls braking and steering, how infants guide their
movements, how athletes guide their movements, how musicians create expression by
the way they guide their movements.