Mirror neurons: From origin to function
City, University of London · King's College London · +3 more institutions
Abstract
This article argues that mirror neurons originate in sensorimotor associative learning and therefore a new approach is needed to investigate their functions. Mirror neurons were discovered about 20 years ago in the monkey brain, and there is now evidence that they are also present in the human brain. The intriguing feature of many mirror neurons is that they fire not only when the animal is performing an action, such as grasping an object using a power grip, but also when the animal passively observes a similar action performed by another agent. It is widely believed that mirror neurons are a genetic adaptation for action understanding; that they were designed by evolution to fulfill a specific socio-cognitive…
Citation impact
- FWCI
- 72.40
- Percentile
- 100%
- References
- 550
Authors
5Topics & keywords
- Mirror neuron
- Neuroscience
- Associative property
- Cognitive science
- Associative learning
- Stimulus (psychology)
- Action (physics)
- Psychology