Social Cognition: The Mirror Neuron System Flashcards
What are mirror neurons?
Neurons that activate both when you perform an action and when you observe someone else perform that action
What is one of the earliest studies demonstrating the existence of mirror neurons?
Rizzolatti et al (1996)
What was observed in Rizzolatti’s study?
In monkeys, the same areas of the brain are active when the monkeys reached for food as when they watched someone else reach for food
What do mirror neurons respond to?
Intentions behind behaviour, not just observed behaviour
What are mirror neurons possibly the biological basis of? Why is this important?
Social cognition - they enable us to empathise with others, which would help inform our theory of mind and perspective-taking
Why can we link mirror neurons with ASD?
Mirror neurons are associated with social cognition, and autism is associated with difficulties in social cognition.
What theory did Ramachandran and Oberman (2006) come up with?
The ‘broken mirror’ theory of autism. It says that autism is caused in part by deficiencies in the mirror neuron system.
Which study supports the existence of mirror neurons and their role in social cognition?
Haker et al (2013)
