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Integrating sensory signals for effective perception and action: from childhood

Prof. Marko Nardini (Durham University, UK)

Abstract: Making good decisions based on uncertain sensory information is a central problem of perception and action. I will consider the challenges of learning to do this: during development in childhood, and in adults learning new (augmented) sensory skills. I will begin by discussing progress on understanding how developing sensory systems overcome the challenges of coordinating multiple inputs to carry out sensory and motor tasks efficiently. Some of these challenges include correct calibration, correct weighting of differently reliable estimates, and development of specialised neural substrates able to carry out these computations quickly and automatically without conscious effort. I will then discuss work in progress seeking to apply this knowledge to a newer challenge: augmenting people’s perception with new signals provided by technology: for example, supplementing impaired vision by translating distance into sound. Adults attempting to learn these new skills face many of the same challenges that typical children do during development – how well can they overcome them, and how can we optimise their abilities to do so? 

About: Marko Nardini is Professor of Psychology at Durham University. His research lies at the intersection of cognitive neuroscience and developmental psychology, focusing on how humans perceive and integrate information from multiple senses. A central theme of his work is understanding how the brain combines uncertain sensory signals to guide perception and action. He has made important contributions to the study of multisensory cue integration, particularly in children, shedding light on how these abilities develop over the lifespan. His research also explores how people learn to use novel sensory cues and adapt to new perceptual environments. Before joining Durham, he held research and teaching positions at University College London and the University of Oxford. His work has been widely published in leading journals in psychology and neuroscience.