Social Cognition: Mirror Neurons Flashcards
What are mirror neurons?
Neurons that fire in response to personal actions and to action on the part of others, allowing us to interpret the intentions and emotions of others.
How were they discovered?
Rizzolatti et al discovered them when studying monkeys electrical activity and found that the motor cortex became active when the monkeys watched people reach for their lunch and they reached for it themselves.
What can be understood about mirror neurons and intention?
Gallese and Goldman have suggested that mirror neurons respond to intentions of behaviour, suggesting we simulate behaviour in our motor system using mirror neurons.
What can be understood about mirror neurons and perspective-taking?
It’s been suggested that mirror-neurons fire in response to other peoples actions and intentions, meaning they are a mechanism for perspective-taking.
What can be understood about mirror neurons and human evolution?
Ramachandran has suggested that they have helped evolution by allowing us to live in big groups with complex social roles.
What can be understood about mirror neurons and ASC?
Ramachandran and Oberman have proposed the ‘broken mirror’ theory in which there is a neurological defect leading to difficulties in social communication.
What is a positive in the support for mirror neurons?
fMRI scans have found that the frontal cortex has ‘lit up’ showing activity in ‘Brodmann’s area’ when watching yawning.
What is negative evaluation about studying mirror neuron activity in humans?
The majority of evidence comes from brain scans that can’t target direct neurons or areas, and it is unethical to insert electrodes into a human brain. This inference means a lack of direct evidence.
