what are mirror neurons?
- a ‘core circuit’ for understanding intentions, feelings and for imitation
- they fire as a result of personal action or the actions of others
- they mirror the motor activity of another individual
how were mirror neurons discovered?
- Rizzolatti + Pellegrino observed that, in monkeys, the same areas of the brain activated when the monkeys reached for food as when they watched someone else reach for food.
- one of the earliest studies demonstrating the existence of mirror neurons + led to further research
what were the findings of further research into mirror neurons?
- a subset of neurons activates both whilst observing and performing actions (grasping), feeling emotions (sadness) and when watching someone receive painful events (shocks)
where are mirror neurons located?
- premotor cortex
- supplementary motor area
- primary somatosensory cortex
- inferior parietal cortex
these regions are densely interconnected
how is mirror neuron research conducted on humans?
- using fMRI scans (electrodes would be unethical)
- similar results have been found to those on Macaque monkeys
what are the 3 found roles of the MNS?
- understanding intentions
- understanding emotions
- helping with imitation
how does the MNS help understand intentions?
- they respond to actions and goals
- cells will not fire when the action is ‘put on’ (fake smile)
- cells will also fire e.g. when grasping happens behind a screen, as long as the monkey has seen that there is an object to be grasped
how does the MNS help understand emotions?
- scanning studies (Rizolatti) have shown that observing someone in pain activates the same brain systems as when you feel pain yourself
- we can share the emotion without having to experience it (empathy)
- might be important for forming ToM
how does the MNS help with imitation?
- since primates mirror the neural activation in performing an action, there is no need to consciously think before a performance
- removes the need for physical practice
- help us perform actions successfully
how are the functions of the MNS beneficial?
- these functions aid us in social interactions
- evolutionary advantageous
how can the MNS explain autism?
- a defective MNS has been argued as the cause of autism
- autistic children may not be able to understand and imitate the behaviour of others effectively
- in later life, this will lead to diminished communication and interaction
W MNS: issues with brain scanning techniques
ID: a limitation of evidence for mirror neurons is that there are issues with brain scanning techniques
Q: this means that cause and effect cannot be established as research is purely correlational
EX: for example, fMRI does not allow researchers to look at activity in isolated brain cells, as we cannot use electrodes in humans. Hickok. found that we cannot identify individual mirror neuron cells and point to their difference from other neurons
AN: therefore, this is a limitation as we cannot accurately measure mirror neurons directly, meaning that there is a lack of direct evidence for the role of the MNS in social cognition.
S MNS: practical applications
ID: despite this, the MNS has had practical applications in explaining autism
Q: this means that, there is evidence to support the link between mirror neurons and the cause of autism
EX: for example, Dapretto. conducted brain scans on autistic and non-autistic children as they watched a series of faces showing anger, fear, happiness etc. He found that ppt’s with autism showed reduced activity in the frontal gyrus, which has been identified as a part of the MNS
AN: this is a strength as further understanding of autism may lead to advances in diagnosis and treatment.
W MNS: conflicting evidence
ID: however, evidence linking autism to defective mirror neurons is mixed
Q: this is due to studies not always being replicated, causing issues of reliability
EX: for example, the importance of mirror neurons may have been exaggerated. Churchland. argued that mirror neurons are simply a neuron which fires in response to an action. Along with Hickok. who argued that mirror neuron activity may have more to do with using others behaviour to plan our own, rather than understanding the cognitions behind it.
AN: therefore, this is a weakness as it suggests that the role of the MNS in autism and social cognition may be an incomplete explanation and exaggerated. meaning that further research is required to make full conclusions.
