Mirroring, Empathy, and Group Processes A Perspective from Neuroscience
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Transcript of Mirroring, Empathy, and Group Processes A Perspective from Neuroscience
Mirroring, Empathy, and Group ProcessesA Perspective from Neuroscience
Associate Professor Ross CunningtonQueensland Brain Institute and School of Psychology
University of Queensland
Historical perspective
We have a natural tendency to imitatethe actions of others
• Charles Darwin (1872)• Spectators at leaping matches move their own feet as if
imitating the competitors• Man has a “strong tendency to imitation, independently of
the conscious will”
• Darwin, 1872, The expression of the emotions in man and animals
Imitation and Simulation
Simulation TheoryUnderstanding others through simulation
We understand others’ mental andemotional states and intentions bysimulating their state in our own mind.
Simulation and Theory Theory
Goldman 2006. Simulating Minds
Mirror NeuronsObservation and Execution of Action
• Mirror Neurons fire when a monkey performs an action, and when it observes the same action being performed
• “Mirrors” the state of the other in the monkey’s own brain
Gallese et al, Brain, 1996
Prof RizzolattiUniversity of Parma, Italy
Mirror MechanismsUnderstanding others by simulation or “mirroring”
VisualSystem
MotorSystem
Plans for Action
Observed Action
• Mirror system:
– Automatically maps observed actions to the motor system
• “We understand actions when we map the visual representation of the observed action onto our motor representation of the same action”
Rizzolatti et al, Nature Reviews Neuroscience 2001
Empathy in the Brain
When we observe emotions of others, some of their brain state is mirrored or simulated in our own brain.
Prof Tania SingerMax Planck Institute, Leipzig
Affective / Emotional AreasThe “unpleasantness” of pain• active during BOTH actual pain
and observed pain
Sensory Areas : Sensation of Pain• NOT active during observed pain
Singer et al, Science, 2004
Neural Empathy – Pain
Empathy and Group Association
• Group Association
– We form associations with people we perceive as like-us
– in-group vs. out-group(Social Identity Theory)
• Group Behaviour
– In-group: favouritism, conformity, helping
– Out-group: prejudice, discrimination, conflict
• Neural empathy and mirroring depends on Group Association– Stronger for In-Group members than Out-Group members
Hein et al, Neuron, 2010
“In-Group” versus “Out-Group” Empathy
• Fans of rival football teams– Observed Pain to In-Group and Out-
Group members
• On each trial, could decide:– Help – Take half pain– Watch a football video– Watch the other receive pain
• More “mirroring” empathy brain activity for In-Group– Correlated with helping behaviour
Singer et al, Nature, 2006
“In-Group” versus “Out-Group” Empathy
• Replicated many times• Greater mirroring for
– Fair versus unfair players– “Minimal” groups
Molenberghs et al, Human Brain Mapping, 2013
Multi-Person Social Neuroscience
• Very recent research field• Practical problems for brain imaging• Can measure synchrony or shared
brain activity between interacting partners
• Heart Rate Variability (HRV)– Controlled by the brain
– Arousal Level = Continuum from- asleep / bored to- engaged / focussed to- stressed / fearful / anxious
Between-Person Synchrony – Connectivity
• Methods used for computing Brain Connectivity can be used to assess inter-person connectivity and group processes
Graph Theory