DIFFERENTIAL OUTCOME TRAINING AND HUMANOID ROBOT FEEDBACK ON A VISUOSPATIAL GAMIFIED TASK: An experimental study investigating learning, affective social engagement cues and cognitive learning strategies

Abstract

By combining Differential Outcome Training (DOT), the usage of unique stimulus-response pairings, and feedback from a humanoid simulated robot (SDK) this study aims to improve learning performance of subjects on a visuospatial gamified memory task. This is achieved by using the SDK as an interface for an algorithm that provides audiovisual, reinforcing feedback promoting engangement in a new dyadic setup for a gamified task. Additionally it enhances the differential outcome effect from the reward system of the gamified task that in turn improves learning. Learning performance was measured by percentage of correct responses on the gamified task ans iMotions software, eye-tracking and Self Assessment Manikin-scale revealed affective cues and cognitive strategies. A total of 60 subject participated in the experiment, and the results showed that subjects playing the gamified task in the DOT condition had significantly higher performance than those who did not. Qualitative analysis of the affective data revealed that participants assisted by the SDK had greater feeling of control and higher levels of valence when combined with DOT. The eye tracking revealed different cognitive strategies where a strategy that makes use of peripheral vision appeared to be most highly correlated with higher memory performance. The results imply that combining DOT with social robot feedback might be an effective way to improve learning, a finding of great significance for potential future clinical intervention of the setup in the context of memory training for patients with dementia and mild cognitive impairment.