Research Project

Every action we perform in day-to-day life is a combination of subsets of action sequences that result in complex actions. We also engage in joint action and take turns in a lot of actions we do. Let us consider a situation where you are having a meal with your friend and there are two food items kept in bowls with spoons in each on the table to be served. When your friend is serving an item for himself and you are waiting for your turn, not every time it is necessary for the other person to say that he has taken his part. You take cues from various movements that he performs like the moment he places the spoon back in the bowl and his gaze changes to the second bowl, that is when you know that he is done serving from the first bowl. Following that, you initiate your movement to take the spoon that your friend kept. The project aims to investigate the cognitive architecture of action perception and how the brain understands the cues in action sequences for prediction for taking turns in such joint actions using fMRI, EEG & Eye-Tracking. The findings may contribute to the development of robots that could engage in joint action with human beings.

 

Research Interest

  • Action Perception & Prediction
  • Neuroplasticity & Music
  • Emotion Perception

 

PhD Committee

Prof. Dr. Ricarda Schubotz, University of Münster, Germany.

Prof. Dr. Florentin Wörgötter, University of Göttingen, Germany.         

Prof. Dr. Markus Lappe, University of Münster, Germany.

Publications

Papatzikis, E.; Elhalik, M.; Inocencio, S.A.M.; Agapaki, M.; Selvan, R.N.; Muhammed, F.S.; Haroon, N.A.; Dash, S.K.; Sofologi, M.; Bezoni, A. Key Challenges and Future Directions When Running Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) Research Protocols with Newborns: A Music and Language EEG Feasibility Study. Brain Sci. 2021, 11, 1562. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11121562

Conference Contributions

Selvan, R.N. & Pandey, V. Neural Correlates of emotional facial expression recognition during bilateral presentation: An ERP Study. Paper presented at the 7th International Conference on Brain Disorders and Therapeutics Rome, Italy.

Pandey, V. & Selvan, R.N. Electrophysiological correlates of cognitive workload during Music perception: Revisiting Mozart Effect. Paper presented at the International Conference on Psychology, Health and Medicine Jaipur, India.

CV

*1994 Coimbatore, India.
2013-2016 B.Sc. Zoology, Bharathiar University, India.
2016–2018

M.Sc. Neuropsychology, National Forensic Sciences University, India.
2018-2019 Project Assistant, Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, India.
2019-2020 Assistant Professor, Institute of Behavioural Science, National Forensic Sciences University, India.
2021-Present PhD student at the University of Münster and University of Göttingen, Germany

 

 

Honors & Awards

2018 Axxonet First Rank Award at 4th Convocation of Gujarat Forensic Sciences University, India.

2018 Best Paper Presentation Award at the International Conference on Psychology, Health and Medicine, India