The Challenges Of Joint Attention

1. The Challenges Of Joint Attention F. Kaplan and V. Hafner

2. Introduction • Concept of joint attention: • Implies viewing the behaviour of other agents as intentionally driven. • More than just gaze following or simultaneous looking • Outlines the different prerequisites for joint attention • Compares real life development of joint attention with state-of-the-art models (identifies which issues remain).

3. What is Joint Attention? • Definition of Attention: • A process whereby an agent concentrates of some features of the environment to the exclusion of others. • Can occur in two situations: • Passive Attention • Active Attention • Attentional behaviour is the externally perceivable behaviour that results from this process

4. What it is NOT • Joint Attention is not simultaneous looking. • Five typical examples that do not qualify for joint attention: • Simultaneous looking triggered by salient event • Simultaneous looking triggered by a pop-out effect • Coincidental simultaneous looking • Gaze following • Coordinated gaze on an object

5. Joint Attention • Joint attention requires that an agent must be able to: • Understand • Monitor • Direct • The attentional behaviour of the other agent • Both agents must be aware of this coordination of perspectives towards the world

6. Prerequisites of Joint Attention • Attention Detection • Following the gaze of another agent • Attention Manipulation • Use of pointing gestures or words • Social Coordination • Mastering social techniques such as turn-taking and role-switching • Intentional Stance • Interpret and predict the behaviour of other agents assuming it is goal directed.

7. Timeline – Attention Detection • 0-3 months: Mutual Gaze, at this age babies show preference for face-like patterns • 6 – 18 months: Gaze following, over this period of time the babies learn to distinguish head positions and direction of gaze

8. Timeline – Attention Manipulation • 9 months: Imperative pointing • 12 - 13 months: Declarative pointing and referential words. • 18 – 24 months: first predications and conversations.

9. Timeline – Social Coordination • 0 – 9 months: Protoconversation, simple rhythmic interaction including turn-taking. • 18 months: Complex imitative games, social exchanges using imitation including conventional routines and role switching

10. Timeline – Intentional Stance • 0 – 3 months: Early Identification with other persons. • 9 months: First Goal directed behaviours • 12 months: Systematic separation between goals and means • 18 months: Intentional stance developed behaviour of others viewed as goal directed.

11. Models for attention detection/manipulation Robovie • Able to attract attention by pointing at an object and establishes a mutual gaze

12. Models for emergence of social coordination • Limited number of works addressing the problem of how shared interaction routines necesessary for coordinating behaviour in joint attention may develop. • Ikegami and Izuka used robots in a simulated environment to study turn taking.

13. Models for emergence of intentional Stance • Research in this area not focussed on the developmental and cognitive mechanisms • the notion of intentionally directed behaviour not investigated • Most challenging prerequisite

14. Conclusions • Modelling of the mechanisms responsible for the emergence of the intentional stance • Would lead to robots with a qualitatively different kind of awarness, making development of true joint attention easier