Of mice and monkeys: expressions that reveal cognitive situations

Long -term research in human psychology claimed that some facial expressions Passion Universal Cultures. For example, Classic studies across cultures Written by Paul Ekman and his colleagues argue that some of the “basic feelings” (happinessSadness, Angerand FearfulSurprise and disgusting) not only through human cultures, but also referred to through very similar facial expressions. Moreover, facial expressions can also indicate internal cognitive cases (such as attention Or lack of attention), which can be used to infer subsequent behavior.

Facial expressions in mice and monkeys

in A new research study Posted in Nature CommunicationsAlejandro Tlaie and his colleagues note that the relationship between facial expressions and internal cognitive conditions exceeds human species. In their studies, the researchers trained monkeys (Mocha Mocha) And six mice (Hoomo, the sane) To move in a natural virtual feed environment using tracking balls. Animals are trained to search for certain goals while avoiding others, receiving drops of diluted juice (for monkeys) and drops of vanilla soy milk (for mice) when they reached the desired goal. The camera tracked the facial expressions of animals while moving in the virtual environment.

Using the Markov switching line Slope (MSLR) is a model for each type, researchers concluded potential cognitive situations as a function of facial expressions of animals, then use these cognitive situations extracted to predict their subsequent behavior (such as faster or slower reaction times, or their direction of movement in the virtual environment). Models revealed the “optimal” number of the two types of two types to predict their behavior. For monkeys, data can be done better by four unique states. For mice, three unique states were sufficient. The researchers have verified the authenticity of their model by successfully predicting behavior in new animals that did not contribute to model training data.

Comprehensive face changes, not isolated

In general, the study showed that before trial facial expressions can actually predict the performance of the mission of searching for feed. In mice, the student’s size and abyss movements predicted reaction times during the targeted experiments, but the nasal movements were better in predicting reaction times in the experienced experiences. Likewise, the sizes of monkeys and eye movements expected the reaction times in the targeted experiences and targeted experiences, respectively. More importantly, the information extracted from the facial expressions of animals to one feature cannot be reduced to one feature; Instead, it was better to predict behavior through a total mixture of facial features.

The results highlight the importance of looking at the complex changes in the faces of animals rather than focusing on isolated features such as the student’s size. In addition, the relationship between the expression of the face and behavior is not fixed, but it depends on the inner state of the animal. Therefore, as in humans, facial expressions in mice and monkeys reflect internal factors that directly relate to subsequent behavior.