cognition and development -social cognition (mirror neuron system) Flashcards
(9 cards)
why are mirror neuron systems involved in social cognition?
.because there are brain cells which respond to the motor activity of others and our own
who was the mirror neuron system first see in?
.first observed in monkeys -same cells activated when seeing researcher reach for lunch and if monkey reached for lunch
who did the research into the mirror neuron system?
.Gallese and Golman
what did gallese and golman say about mirror neuron system?
.said MNs respond to intentions of others (not just actions)
.MNs in motor cortex may allow us to simulate others’ actions and so help us to understand their intentions to interact socially
what about the mirror neuron system may be key to?
.MNs may be key to human social evolution for living in large groups. .Ramachandran suggests MNs have shaped the direction of human evolution allowing us to live in large, complex social groups with roles and rules
why can mirror neuron system link to autism?
.their deficit in perspective taking skills may be due to a poor MN system (neurological deficits) ‘broken mirror’ theory
what does the broken mirror theory prevent ASD children doing?
.this ‘broken mirror’ prevents ASD children from imitating and understanding others’ social behaviours
what is a positive to the mirror neuron system?
.Haker et al - fMRIs show that areas of the brain believed to be rich in MNs (Brodman’s area) activate in tasks of social cognition (contagious yawning).
what is a negative to the mirror neuron system?
.difficulty in studying MNs in humans: current techniques for studying brain activity do not measure activity at a cellular level so we cannot see individual mirror neurons in action. (Ethics of inserting electrodes into cells?)
.some question if they even exist? It is possible the function of MNs is being performed by other types of cell. (Hickok, 2009).
