✓ The Mirror Neuron System (social cognition) Flashcards
What is the Mirror Neuron System?
MNS consists of special cells called mirror neurons distributed in several areas of the brain
Why are Mirror Neurons unique?
they fire both in response to personal action & in response to the actions of others
What does the neural ‘mirroring’ action allow us to do?
the neural ‘mirroring’ action allows the observer to identify the goal or intention they would have if they personally carried out the behaviour & then mentally attribute this to the person they are observing
e.g. ‘If I picked up an apple I would be hungry, so when Bob is picking up an apple he must be hungry’
What do Mirror Neurons allow us to do?
perspective-taking
mirror neurons allows to interpret intention & emotion in others - being able to see someone else’s perspective
What was Rizzolatti’s study?
he was studying elect activity in monkey’s motor cortex
BUT
when one of the researchers reached for food monkeys motor cortex activated in exactly the same way as when monkey reached for food itself
= same brain cells were firing - mirror neurons
Who researched mirror neurons in Human Evolution?
Ramachandran
What did Ramachandran suggest?
mirror neurons have shaped human evolution
- they allow us to live in large groups w complex social rules & cultures
- they are key to understanding how humans have developed as a social species
= we have evolved to have mirror neurons bc they help us live in large social groups
Who researched mirror neurons in Autism?
Ramachandran & Oberman
What did Ramachandran & Oberman propose?
proposed the ‘broken mirror’ theory of ASD
- dysfunctional MNS may explain the limited social-cognition abilities of children w ASD
- they may struggle reading intention & recognising emotion in others
