AO1
THE DISCOVERY OF MIRROR NEURONS
- RIZZOLATTI: was studying ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY in a MONKEY’S MOTOR CORTEX when a RESEARCHER reached for his LUNCH in front of the monkey and the MONKEY’S MOTOR CORTEX became ACTIVITATED in the SAME WAY that it did when the monkey reached for the food, these were also found to be the SAME CELLS = MIRROR NEURONS
MIRROR NEURONS AND INTENTION
- GALLESE AND GOLDMAN: mirror neurons don’t just respond to OBSERVED ACTIONS but to the INTENTIONS BEHIND THE BEHAVIOUR
we stimulate other’s actions IN OUR motor systems and EXPERIENCE THEIR INTENTIONS using MIRROR NEURONS
MIRROR NEURONS AND PERSPECTIVE-TAKING
- IF MIRROR NEURONS fire in response to OTHER’S ACTIONS AND INTENTIONS this may allow us to EXPERIENCE and therefore UNDERSTAND OTHER PEOPLE’S PERSPECTIVES AND EMOTIONAL STATES
- we can make stimulate intention by make judgements for our own motor responses so we should be able to use this information to INTERPRET what others are THINKING AND FEELING
MIRROR NEURONS AND HUMAN EVOLUTION
- RAMACHANDRAN: they have shaped human EVOLUTION by allowing humans to have COMPLEX SOCIAL INTERACTIONS through understanding INTENTION, EMOTION and PERSPECTIVE which therefore allows us to LIVE IN LARGE GROUPS with social ROLES and RULES that make up HUMAN LIFE
MIRROR NEURONS AND AUTISTIC SPECTRUM DISORDER
- those with ASD have problems with SOCIAL-COGNITIVE ABILITIES
- they have shown to have a POOR MIRROR NEURON SYSTEM
- ‘BROKEN MIRROR’ theory – neurological DEFICTS such as the dysfunction in the MIRROR NEURON SYSTEM prevents children from IMITATING and UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR in others
- Children will typically MIMIC ADULTS BEHAVIOUR LESS THAN OTHERS