<p>The <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sensorimotor" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Merriam Webster Dictionary defines the word</a> <em>sensorimotor</em> to be:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>of, relating to, or functioning in both sensory and motor aspects of bodily activity</p>
</blockquote>
<p>and the following relating to the tags you used may help to understand the word.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The idea that we learn by interacting with our environment is probably the first to occur to us when we think about the nature of learning. When an infant plays, waves its arms, or looks about, it has no explicit teacher, but it does have a direct sensorimotor connection to its environment (Sutton &amp; Barto, 2005)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>As Merriam Webster points out, the sensorimotor connections are related to sensation and to motion</p>
<p><a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/sensorimotor" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Dictionary.com points out</a> that physiologically, they relate to</p>
<blockquote>
<p>both sensory and motor, as parts of the cerebral cortex.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The sensorimotor connection to your environment taught you what an object looks, feels, smells and sounds like and helps with your spacial awareness.</p>
<h2>References</h2>
<p>Sutton, R. S. &amp; Barto, A. G. (2005). <em>Reinforcement Learning: An Introduction</em> Cambridge, MA: MIT Press</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-15T10:33:40.920Z
2019-06-15T10:33:40.920Z
2020-06-17T09:55:31.633Z
Chris Rogers
<p>I have googled, but haven't found any definition simple enough that I understand. I would appreciate it if you could give me an example as well!</p>

<p>Thanks,</p>

<p>Jack</p>

<neuroscience><sensation><reinforcement-learning>
What is a sensorimotor connection in plain English?
Jack
# What is a sensorimotor connection in plain English?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-06-15)

I have googled, but haven't found any definition simple enough that I understand. I would appreciate it if you could give me an example as well!

Thanks,

username_0

**Tags:** neuroscience, sensation, reinforcement-learning


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-06-15. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

The [Merriam Webster Dictionary defines the word](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sensorimotor) *sensorimotor* to be:

> of, relating to, or functioning in both sensory and motor aspects of bodily activity

and the following relating to the tags you used may help to understand the word.

> The idea that we learn by interacting with our environment is probably the first to occur to us when we think about the nature of learning. When an infant plays, waves its arms, or looks about, it has no explicit teacher, but it does have a direct sensorimotor connection to its environment (Sutton & Barto, 2005)

As Merriam Webster points out, the sensorimotor connections are related to sensation and to motion

[Dictionary.com points out](https://www.dictionary.com/browse/sensorimotor) that physiologically, they relate to

> both sensory and motor, as parts of the cerebral cortex.

The sensorimotor connection to your environment taught you what an object looks, feels, smells and sounds like and helps with your spacial awareness.

## References

Sutton, R. S. & Barto, A. G. (2005). *Reinforcement Learning: An Introduction* Cambridge, MA: MIT Press


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