An integral role for timing in interception

Abstract

Timing is critical for myriad behaviors in dynamic environments. For example, to intercept an object, the brain must compute a reliable estimate of time-to-contact (TTC). Prior work suggests that humans compute TTC using kinematic information such as distance and speed without explicitly relying on temporal cues, just as one would do in a physics classroom using kinematic equations. Considering the inherent uncertainty associated with estimates of speed and distance and the ability of human brain to combine different sources of information, we asked whether humans additionally rely on temporal cues. We found that humans actively integrate speed information with both explicit and implicit timing cues. Analysis of behavior in relation to a Bayesian model revealed that the additional temporal information helps subjects optimize their performance in the presence of measurement uncertainty. These findings suggest that brains timing mechanisms are actively engaged while interacting with dynamic stimuli.