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Jastrzab LE, Chaudhury B, Ashley SA, Koldewyn K, Cross ES. Beyond human-likeness: Socialness is more influential when attributing mental states to robots. iScience 2024; 27:110070. [PMID: 38947497 PMCID: PMC11214418 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
We sought to replicate and expand previous work showing that the more human-like a robot appears, the more willing people are to attribute mind-like capabilities and socially engage with it. Forty-two participants played games against a human, a humanoid robot, a mechanoid robot, and a computer algorithm while undergoing functional neuroimaging. We confirmed that the more human-like the agent, the more participants attributed a mind to them. However, exploratory analyses revealed that the perceived socialness of an agent appeared to be as, if not more, important for mind attribution. Our findings suggest top-down knowledge cues may be equally or possibly more influential than bottom-up stimulus cues when exploring mind attribution in non-human agents. While further work is now required to test this hypothesis directly, these preliminary findings hold important implications for robotic design and to understand and test the flexibility of human social cognition when people engage with artificial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E. Jastrzab
- Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Human and Behavioural Science, Bangor University, Wales, UK
- Institute for Neuroscience and Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Bishakha Chaudhury
- Institute for Neuroscience and Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Sarah A. Ashley
- Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Human and Behavioural Science, Bangor University, Wales, UK
- Division of Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Kami Koldewyn
- Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Human and Behavioural Science, Bangor University, Wales, UK
| | - Emily S. Cross
- Institute for Neuroscience and Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Chair for Social Brain Sciences, Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences, ETHZ, Zürich, Switzerland
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2
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Bouquet CA, Belletier C, Monceau S, Chausse P, Croizet JC, Huguet P, Ferrand L. Joint action with human and robotic co-actors: Self-other integration is immune to the perceived humanness of the interacting partner. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2024; 77:70-89. [PMID: 36803063 DOI: 10.1177/17470218231158481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2023]
Abstract
When performing a joint action task, we automatically represent the action and/or task constraints of the co-actor with whom we are interacting. Current models suggest that, not only physical similarity, but also abstract, conceptual features shared between self and the interacting partner play a key role in the emergence of joint action effects. Across two experiments, we investigated the influence of the perceived humanness of a robotic agent on the extent to which we integrate the action of that agent into our own action/task representation, as indexed by the Joint Simon Effect (JSE). The presence (vs. absence) of a prior verbal interaction was used to manipulate robot's perceived humanness. In Experiment 1, using a within-participant design, we had participants perform the joint Go/No-go Simon task with two different robots. Before performing the joint task, one robot engaged in a verbal interaction with the participant and the other robot did not. In Experiment 2, we employed a between-participants design to contrast these two robot conditions as well as a human partner condition. In both experiments, a significant Simon effect emerged during joint action and its amplitude was not modulated by the humanness of the interacting partner. Experiment 2 further showed that the JSE obtained in robot conditions did not differ from that measured in the human partner condition. These findings contradict current theories of joint action mechanisms according to which perceived self-other similarity is a crucial determinant of self-other integration in shared task settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cédric A Bouquet
- CNRS, LAPSCO, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- CNRS, CeRCA, Université de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Clément Belletier
- CNRS, LAPSCO, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Sophie Monceau
- CNRS, LAPSCO, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Pierre Chausse
- CNRS, LAPSCO, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | | | - Pascal Huguet
- CNRS, LAPSCO, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Ludovic Ferrand
- CNRS, LAPSCO, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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3
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Zhao M, Ming B, Li Y, Shi J. Peer effects of working capital management: Considering the moderating effect of knowledge flow. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1054349. [DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1054349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
An important form of human learning and cognition is imitation. In environments where uncertainty is more incremental, imitation of peers is a natural response to uncertainty. While there are substantial literature documenting peer effects in other settings, the study of peer effects in working capital management is novel; little research exists on peer effects in working capital management and their impact mechanism. Using data of China’s listed firms from 2010 to 2021, we empirically demonstrate significant peer effects due to working capital management. Firstly, we find that the behavior of working capital management of firms in the same industry is positively related to a firm’s working capital management. We used peer firms’ target debt ratio as an instrumental variable to address potential endogeneity problem. Secondly, the moderating effects test shows that the positive relationship between the behavior of working capital management of firms in the same industry and a firm’s working capital management behavior is moderated by knowledge flow. Meanwhile, the peer effects in the high group of knowledge flow are greater than that of in the low group of knowledge flow. The study is based on the Active Intermodal Matching theory of psychology. It enriches the research findings on the moderating effect of peer effects and has important implications for policymaking to stimulate the economy.
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The Biasing of Action Selection Produces Emergent Human-Robot Interactions in Autonomous Driving. IEEE Robot Autom Lett 2022. [DOI: 10.1109/lra.2021.3136646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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5
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Zhou H, Gao Q, Chen W, Wei Q. Action Understanding Promoted by Interoception in Children: A Developmental Model. Front Psychol 2022; 13:724677. [PMID: 35264994 PMCID: PMC8900726 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.724677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Action understanding of children develops from simple associative learning to mentalizing. With the rise of embodied cognition, the role of interoception in action observation and action understanding has received more attention. From a developmental perspective, this study proposes a novel developmental model that explores how interoception promotes action understanding of children across ages. In early infancy, most actions observed in infants come from interactions with their caregivers. Babies learn about action effects through automatic interoceptive processing and interoceptive feedback. Interoception in early infancy is not fully developed, such as the not fully developed gastrointestinal tract and intestinal nervous system. Therefore, in early infancy, action understanding is based on low-level and original interoceptive information. At this stage, after observing the actions of others, infants can create mental representations or even imitate actions without external visual feedback, which requires interoception to provide internal reference information. By early childhood, children begin to infer action intentions of other people by integrating various types of information to reach the mentalizing level. Interoception processing requires the integration of multiple internal signals, which promotes the information integration ability of children. Interoception also provides inner information for reasoning about action intention. This review also discussed the neural mechanisms of interoception and possible ways by which it could promote action understanding of children. In early infancy, the central autonomic neural network (CAN) automatically processes and responds to the actions of caregivers on infants, providing interoceptive information for action understanding of infants. In infancy, the growth of the somatomotor system provides important internal reference information for observing and imitating the actions of infants. In early childhood, the development of interoception of children facilitates the integration of internal and external information, which promotes the mentalization of action understanding of children. According to the proposed developmental model of action understanding of children promoted by interoception, there are multilevel and stage-dependent characteristics that impact the role of interoception in action understanding of children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhou
- Center for Brain, Mind and Education, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
- Department of Psychology, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
| | - Qiyang Gao
- Center for Brain, Mind and Education, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
- Department of Psychology, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Center for Brain, Mind and Education, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
- Department of Psychology, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
| | - Qiaobo Wei
- Center for Brain, Mind and Education, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
- Department of Psychology, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
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6
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Proprioception-based movement goals support imitation and are disrupted in apraxia. Cortex 2022; 147:140-156. [PMID: 35033899 PMCID: PMC8852218 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The ability to imitate observed actions serves as an efficient method for learning novel movements and is specifically impaired (without concomitant gross motor impairments) in the neurological disorder of limb apraxia, a disorder common after left hemisphere stroke. Research with apraxic patients has advanced our understanding of how people imitate. However, the role of proprioception in imitation has been rarely assessed directly. Prior work has proposed that proprioceptively sensed body position is transformed into a visual format, supporting the attainment of a desired imitation goal represented visually (i.e., how the movement should look when performed). In contrast, we hypothesized a more direct role for proprioception: we suggest that movement goals are also represented proprioceptively (i.e., how a desired movement should feel when performed), and the ability to represent or access such proprioceptive goals is deficient in apraxia. Using a novel imitation task in which a robot cued meaningless trajectories proprioceptively or visually, we probed the role of each sensory modality. We found that patients with left hemisphere stroke were disproportionately worse than controls at imitating when cued proprioceptively versus visually. This proprioceptive versus visual disparity was associated with apraxia severity as assessed by a traditional imitation task, but could not be explained by general proprioceptive impairment or speed-accuracy trade-offs. These data suggest that successful imitation depends in part on the ability to represent movement goals in terms of how those movements should feel, and that deficits in this ability contribute to imitation impairments in patients with apraxia.
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Curtis J, Burkley E, Hatvany T, Higdon BJ. Goal commitment is in the eye of the beholder: Causes and consequences of perceiving others' goal commitment. The Journal of Social Psychology 2021; 161:683-696. [PMID: 33371803 DOI: 10.1080/00224545.2020.1867041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The present work examines how judgments of others' commitment to a goal are influenced by three factors that influence one's own goal commitment (satisfaction, investment, and alternatives). In two studies these three factors were manipulated. The results indicated that people rate another's goal commitment higher when goal satisfaction is high, goal investment is high and goal alternatives are low. It was also found that satisfaction and investments alter perceptions of the other's abilities, and that this relationship is partially mediated by perceived goal commitment. The present studies offer novel findings that highlight the information we use to judge the goal commitment of others and the consequences that are incurred when these judgments are formed.
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Liu B, Wei L. Machine gaze in online behavioral targeting: The effects of algorithmic human likeness on social presence and social influence. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2021.106926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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9
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Röhricht F. Psychoanalysis and body psychotherapy: An exploration of their relational and embodied common ground. INTERNATIONAL FORUM OF PSYCHOANALYSIS 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/0803706x.2021.1959638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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10
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Giachero A, Quadrini A, Pisano F, Calati M, Rugiero C, Ferrero L, Pia L, Marangolo P. Procedural Learning through Action Observation: Preliminary Evidence from Virtual Gardening Activity in Intellectual Disability. Brain Sci 2021; 11:766. [PMID: 34207553 PMCID: PMC8226894 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11060766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Intellectual disability (ID) compromises intellectual and adaptive functioning. People with an ID show difficulty with procedural skills, with loss of autonomy in daily life. From an embodiment perspective, observation of action promotes motor skill learning. Among promising technologies, virtual reality (VR) offers the possibility of engaging the sensorimotor system, thus, improving cognitive functions and adaptive capacities. Indeed, VR can be used as sensorimotor feedback, which enhances procedural learning. In the present study, fourteen subjects with an ID underwent progressive steps training combined with VR aimed at learning gardening procedures. All participants were trained twice a week for fourteen weeks (total 28 sessions). Participants were first recorded while sowing zucchini, then they were asked to observe a virtual video which showed the correct procedure. Next, they were presented with their previous recordings, and they were asked to pay attention and to comment on the errors made. At the end of the treatment, the results showed that all participants were able to correctly garden in a real environment. Interestingly, action observation facilitated, not only procedural skills, but also specific cognitive abilities. This evidence emphasizes, for the first time, that action observation combined with VR improves procedural learning in ID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Giachero
- Aphasia Experimental Laboratory-Fondazione Carlo Molo Onlus, 10121 Turin, Italy; (A.G.); (M.C.); (C.R.)
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy;
| | | | - Francesca Pisano
- Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, University Federico II, 80133 Naples, Italy;
| | - Melanie Calati
- Aphasia Experimental Laboratory-Fondazione Carlo Molo Onlus, 10121 Turin, Italy; (A.G.); (M.C.); (C.R.)
| | - Cristian Rugiero
- Aphasia Experimental Laboratory-Fondazione Carlo Molo Onlus, 10121 Turin, Italy; (A.G.); (M.C.); (C.R.)
| | - Laura Ferrero
- Fondazione Agape dello Spirito Santo Onlus-Villa Lauro, 10132 Turin, Italy;
| | - Lorenzo Pia
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy;
| | - Paola Marangolo
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy;
- Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, University Federico II, 80133 Naples, Italy;
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11
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Kang W, Pineda Hernández S, Mei J. Neural Mechanisms of Observational Learning: A Neural Working Model. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 14:609312. [PMID: 33967717 PMCID: PMC8100516 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.609312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans and some animal species are able to learn stimulus-response (S-R) associations by observing others' behavior. It saves energy and time and avoids the danger of trying the wrong actions. Observational learning (OL) depends on the capability of mapping the actions of others into our own behaviors, processing outcomes, and combining this knowledge to serve our goals. Observational learning plays a central role in the learning of social skills, cultural knowledge, and tool use. Thus, it is one of the fundamental processes in which infants learn about and from adults (Byrne and Russon, 1998). In this paper, we review current methodological approaches employed in observational learning research. We highlight the important role of the prefrontal cortex and cognitive flexibility to support this learning process, develop a new neural working model of observational learning, illustrate how imitation relates to observational learning, and provide directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weixi Kang
- Computational, Cognitive and Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jie Mei
- Department of Anatomy, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Québec City, QC, Canada
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12
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Neural processing of self-produced and externally generated events in 3-month-old infants. J Exp Child Psychol 2020; 204:105039. [PMID: 33341016 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2020.105039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Did I make that sound? Differentiating whether sensory events are caused by us or the environment is pivotal for our sense of agency. Adults can predict the sensory effects of their actions, which results in attenuated processing of self-produced events compared with externally generated events. Yet, little is known about whether young infants predict and discriminate self-produced events from externally produced events. Using electroencephalography (EEG), 3-month-olds' neural response to the same audiovisual stimulus was compared between a Self-produced condition and externally generated conditions with predictable timing (External-Regular) and irregular timing (External-Irregular). We hypothesized that if 3-month-olds predict self-produced events, their event-related potentials should be smallest for the Self-produced condition, strongest for the External-Irregular condition, and in between for the External-Regular condition. Cluster-based permutation tests indicated a more positive deflection (300-470 ms) for irregular stimuli compared with regular stimuli over the vertex. Contrasting the Self-produced and External-Irregular conditions showed a statistical trend within the same time window. Although not fully conclusive, this might suggest the emerging differentiation between self-produced and less predictable external events. However, there was no statistical evidence that infants differentiated self-produced events from temporally predictable external events. Our findings shed light on the emerging sense of agency and suggest that 3-month-olds are transitioning toward predicting and discriminating the consequences of their actions.
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Marshall PJ, Meltzoff AN. Body maps in the infant brain: implications for neurodevelopmental disabilities. Dev Med Child Neurol 2020; 62:778-783. [PMID: 32277484 DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.14540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
This review and synthesis discusses recent work that has utilized brain imaging methods, such as the electroencephalogram (EEG) and magnetoencephalogram, to provide insights into the ways that the body is represented in the infant brain. One aspect of body representation concerns somatotopic maps of the body surface in somatosensory cortex. A good deal is known about the properties of these maps in adults, but there has been relatively little developmental work. Recent studies have provided new insights into the organization of infant neural body maps and have laid the foundations for examining their plasticity in relation to behavioral development. Other work has suggested that neural body maps may be involved in the registration of correspondences between self and other, with implications for early social development. Here, body representations are discussed in the context of preterm birth and autism spectrum disorder, providing novel perspectives relevant to developmental medicine and child neurology. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: ●Somatotopic body maps develop prenatally through intrinsic and activity-dependent mechanisms. ●There is increasing interest in understanding postnatal plasticity in body maps. ●Body representations may be involved in the registration of preverbal, interpersonal relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Marshall
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Andrew N Meltzoff
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Abstract
Culture is part of an extensive series of feedback loops, which involve multiple organismic levels including social contexts, cognitive mediations, neural processes, and behavior. Recent studies in neuroscience show that culturally contingent social processes shape some neural pathways. Studying the influence of cultural context on neural processes may yield new insights into psychiatric disorders. New methodologies in the neurosciences offer innovative ways to assess the impact of culture on mental health and illness. However, implementing these methodologies raises important theoretical and ethical concerns, which must be resolved to address patient individuality and the complexity of cultural diversity. This article discusses cultural context as a major influence on (and consequence of) human neural plasticity and advocates a culture-brain-behavior (CBB) interaction model for conceptualizing the relationship between culture, brain, and psychiatric disorders. Recommendations are made for integrating neuroscientific techniques into transcultural psychiatric research by taking a systems approach to evaluating disorders.
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Su WC, Culotta ML, Hoffman MD, Trost SL, Pelphrey KA, Tsuzuki D, Bhat AN. Developmental Differences in Cortical Activation During Action Observation, Action Execution and Interpersonal Synchrony: An fNIRS Study. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:57. [PMID: 32194385 PMCID: PMC7062643 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Interpersonal synchrony (IPS) is an important everyday behavior influencing social cognitive development; however, few studies have investigated the developmental differences and underlying neural mechanisms of IPS. functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a novel neuroimaging tool that allows the study of cortical activation in the presence of natural movements. Using fNIRS, we compared cortical activation patterns between children and adults during action observation, execution, and IPS. Seventeen school-age children and 15 adults completed a reach to cleanup task while we obtained cortical activation data from bilateral inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), superior temporal sulcus (STS), and inferior parietal lobes (IPL). Children showed lower spatial and temporal accuracy during IPS compared to adults (i.e., spatial synchrony scores (Mean ± SE) in children: 2.67 ± 0.08 and adults: 2.85 ± 0.06; temporal synchrony scores (Mean ± SE) in children: 2.74 ± 0.06 and adults: 2.88 ± 0.05). For both groups, the STS regions were more activated during action observation, while the IFG and STS were more activated during action execution and IPS. The IPS condition involved more right-sided activation compared to action execution suggesting that IPS is a higher-order process involving more bilateral cortical activation. In addition, adults showed more left lateralization compared to the children during movement conditions (execution and IPS); which indicated greater inhibition of ipsilateral cortices in the adults compared to children. These findings provide a neuroimaging framework to study imitation and IPS impairments in special populations such as children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Chun Su
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States.,Biomechanics & Movement Science Program, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - McKenzie L Culotta
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States.,Biomechanics & Movement Science Program, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Michael D Hoffman
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Susanna L Trost
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Kevin A Pelphrey
- Department of Neurology & The UVA Brain Institute, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Daisuke Tsuzuki
- Department of Language Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Anjana N Bhat
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States.,Biomechanics & Movement Science Program, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States.,Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
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16
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Smeets RGM, Kempen GIJM, Zijlstra GAR, van Rossum E, de Man‐van Ginkel JM, Hanssen WAG, Metzelthin SF. Experiences of home-care workers with the 'Stay Active at Home' programme targeting reablement of community-living older adults: An exploratory study. HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY 2020; 28:291-299. [PMID: 31588655 PMCID: PMC6916334 DOI: 10.1111/hsc.12863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
To face the challenges of an ageing population, many Western countries nowadays stimulate an ageing in place policy to empower older adults to grow old in their own homes with the highest degree of self-reliance. However, many community-living older adults experience limitations in (instrumental) activities of daily living ((I)ADLs), which may result in a need for home-care services. Unfortunately, home-care workers often provide support by taking over tasks, as they are used to doing things for older adults rather than with them, which undermines their possibilities to maintain their self-care capabilities. In contrast, reablement focuses on capabilities and opportunities of older adults, rather than on disease and dependency. Consequently, older adults are stimulated to be as active as possible during daily and physical activities. The 'Stay Active at Home' programme was designed to train home-care workers to apply reablement in practice. To explore the experiences of home-care workers with this programme an exploratory study was conducting in the Netherlands, between April and July, 2017. In total, 20 participants were interviewed: nine nurses (including a district nurse), 10 domestic support workers and the manager of the domestic support workers. The semi-structured interviews focused on the experienced improvements with regard to knowledge, skills, self-efficacy and social support. Furthermore, the most and least appreciated programme components were identified. The study has shown that home-care workers perceived the programme as useful to apply reablement. However, they also need more support with mastering particular skills and dealing with challenging situations. Future implementation of the 'Stay Active at Home' programme can potentially benefit from small adaptions. Furthermore, future research is needed to examine whether the programme leads to more (cost-) effective home care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rowan G. M. Smeets
- Department of Health Services ResearchFaculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI)Maastricht UniversityMaastrichtThe Netherlands
| | - Gertrudis I. J. M. Kempen
- Department of Health Services ResearchFaculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI)Maastricht UniversityMaastrichtThe Netherlands
| | - G. A. Rixt Zijlstra
- Department of Health Services ResearchFaculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI)Maastricht UniversityMaastrichtThe Netherlands
| | - Erik van Rossum
- Department of Health Services ResearchFaculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI)Maastricht UniversityMaastrichtThe Netherlands
- Research Centre for Community CareZuyd University of Applied SciencesHeerlenThe Netherlands
| | - Janneke M. de Man‐van Ginkel
- Department of Nursing ScienceUniversity Utrecht Julius Centre for Health Sciences and Primary CareUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
- Programme in Clinical Health SciencesUniversity UtrechtUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | | | - Silke F. Metzelthin
- Department of Health Services ResearchFaculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI)Maastricht UniversityMaastrichtThe Netherlands
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Hardy C. Clinical sympathy: the important role of affectivity in clinical practice. MEDICINE, HEALTH CARE, AND PHILOSOPHY 2019; 22:499-513. [PMID: 30919238 DOI: 10.1007/s11019-018-9872-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Bioethics has begun to see the revaluation of affects in medical practice, but not all of them, and not necessarily in the sense of affects as we know them. Empathy has been accepted as important for good medical practice, but only in a way that strips it of its affectivity and thus prevents other affects, like sympathy, from being accepted. As part of a larger project that aims at revaluing the importance of affectivity in medical practice, the purpose of this paper is to develop a clinical sympathy that can serve as a trainable skill for medical professionals. While everyday sympathy may be problematic as a professional skill for physicians, this does not imply that sympathy should be entirely rejected. As a natural part of our moral psychology, sympathy is an intersubjective affect that aids in our interactions with others and our decision-making abilities. I present here a theory of clinical sympathy as an affective response to patients, in which physicians are both attuned to their affective response and understand how their affects are influencing their beliefs and judgments. In this way, clinical sympathy serves as a trainable skill that can aid physicians in their interactions with their patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carter Hardy
- Department of Philosophy and Religion, University of Tampa, 401 W Kennedy Blvd, Mailbox R, Tampa, FL, 33606, USA.
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18
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God-like robots: the semantic overlap between representation of divine and artificial entities. AI & SOCIETY 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00146-019-00902-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Ferrer de Luna J. Intersubjectivity in infancy: A second-person approach to ontogenetic development. PHILOSOPHICAL PSYCHOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/09515089.2019.1590679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jose Ferrer de Luna
- Department of Philosophy I, Faculty of Philosophy and Humanities, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
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Macaque monkeys learn by observation in the ghost display condition in the object-in-place task with differential reward to the observer. Sci Rep 2019; 9:401. [PMID: 30674953 PMCID: PMC6344553 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36803-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 11/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Observational learning has been investigated in monkeys mainly using conspecifics or humans as models to observe. Some studies attempted to clarify the social agent’s role and to test whether non-human primates could learn from observation of a non-social agent, usually mentioned as a ‘ghost display’ condition, but they reported conflicting results. To address this question, we trained three rhesus monkeys in an object-in-place task consisting of the presentation of five subsequent problems composed of two objects, one rewarded and one unrewarded, for six times, or runs. Three types of learning conditions were tested. In the individual learning condition, the monkeys performed the first run, learned from it and improved their performance in the following runs. In the social and non-social learning conditions, they observed respectively a human model and a computer performing the first run and learned by the observation of their successes or errors. In all three conditions, the monkeys themselves received the reward after correct choices only. One-trial learning occurred in all three conditions. The monkeys performed over chance in the second run in all conditions, providing evidence of non-social observational learning with differential reward in macaque monkeys using a “ghost display” condition in a cognitive task.
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Hahn LJ, Loveall SJ, Savoy MT, Neumann AM, Ikuta T. Joint attention in Down syndrome: A meta-analysis. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2018; 78:89-102. [PMID: 29793102 PMCID: PMC5995577 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2018.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Revised: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Some studies have indicated that joint attention may be a relative strength in Down syndrome (DS), but other studies have not. AIM To conduct a meta-analysis of joint attention in DS to more conclusively determine if this is a relative strength or weakness when compared to children with typical development (TD), developmental disabilities (DD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS AND PROCEDURES Journal articles published before September 13, 2016, were identified by using the search terms "Down syndrome" and "joint attention" or "coordinating attention". Identified studies were reviewed and coded for inclusion criteria, descriptive information, and outcome variables. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS Eleven studies (553 participants) met inclusion criteria. Children with DS showed similar joint attention as TD children and higher joint attention than children with DD and ASD. Meta-regression revealed a significant association between age and joint attention effect sizes in the DS vs. TD contrast. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Joint attention appears to not be a weakness for children with DS, but may be commensurate with developmental level. Joint attention may be a relative strength in comparison to other skills associated with the DS behavioral phenotype. Early interventions for children with DS may benefit from leveraging joint attention skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura J Hahn
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Speech & Hearing Science, 901 South Sixth St. MC-482, Champaign, IL, 61820, United States.
| | - Susan J Loveall
- University of Mississippi, Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, 100 George Hall, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS, 386 77, United States.
| | - Madison T Savoy
- University of Mississippi, Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, 100 George Hall, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS, 386 77, United States.
| | - Allie M Neumann
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Speech & Hearing Science, 901 South Sixth St. MC-482, Champaign, IL, 61820, United States.
| | - Toshikazu Ikuta
- University of Mississippi, Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, 100 George Hall, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS, 386 77, United States.
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Marchetti A, Manzi F, Itakura S, Massaro D. Theory of Mind and Humanoid Robots From a Lifespan Perspective. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR PSYCHOLOGIE-JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1027/2151-2604/a000326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Abstract. This review focuses on some relevant issues concerning the relationship between theory of mind (ToM) and humanoid robots. Humanoid robots are employed in different everyday-life contexts, so it seems relevant to question whether the relationships between human beings and humanoids can be characterized by a mode of interaction typical of the relationships between human beings, that is, the attribution of mental states. Because ToM development continuously undergoes changes from early childhood to late adulthood, we adopted a lifespan perspective. We analyzed contributions from the literature by organizing them around the partition between “mental states and actions” and “human-like features.” Finally, we considered how studying human–robot interaction, within a ToM context, can contribute to our understanding of the intersubjective nature of this interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Marchetti
- Research Unit on Theory of Mind, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Federico Manzi
- Research Unit on Theory of Mind, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Shoji Itakura
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Japan
| | - Davide Massaro
- Research Unit on Theory of Mind, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
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Reid VM, Kaduk K, Lunn J. Links between action perception and action production in 10-week-old infants. Neuropsychologia 2017; 126:69-74. [PMID: 29122610 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2016] [Revised: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In order to understand how experience of an action alters functional brain responses to visual information, we examined the effects of reflex walking on how 10-week-old infants processed biological motion. We gave experience of the reflex walk to half the participants, and did not give this experience to the other half of the sample. The participant's electrical brain activity in response to viewing upright and inverted walking and crawling movements indicated the detection of biological motion only for that group which experience the reflex walk, as evidenced by parietal electrode greater positivity for the upright than the inverted condition. This effect was observed only for the walking stimuli. This study suggests that parietal regions are associated with the perception of biological motion even at 9-11 weeks. Further, this result strongly suggests that experience refines the perception of biological motion and that at 10 weeks of age, the link between action perception and action production is tightly woven.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Judith Lunn
- Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, UK
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25
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Monfardini E, Reynaud AJ, Prado J, Meunier M. Social modulation of cognition: Lessons from rhesus macaques relevant to education. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 82:45-57. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Revised: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 12/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Dawood F, Loo CK. Developmental Approach for Behavior Learning Using Primitive Motion Skills. Int J Neural Syst 2017; 28:1750038. [PMID: 29022403 DOI: 10.1142/s0129065717500381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Imitation learning through self-exploration is essential in developing sensorimotor skills. Most developmental theories emphasize that social interactions, especially understanding of observed actions, could be first achieved through imitation, yet the discussion on the origin of primitive imitative abilities is often neglected, referring instead to the possibility of its innateness. This paper presents a developmental model of imitation learning based on the hypothesis that humanoid robot acquires imitative abilities as induced by sensorimotor associative learning through self-exploration. In designing such learning system, several key issues will be addressed: automatic segmentation of the observed actions into motion primitives using raw images acquired from the camera without requiring any kinematic model; incremental learning of spatio-temporal motion sequences to dynamically generates a topological structure in a self-stabilizing manner; organization of the learned data for easy and efficient retrieval using a dynamic associative memory; and utilizing segmented motion primitives to generate complex behavior by the combining these motion primitives. In our experiment, the self-posture is acquired through observing the image of its own body posture while performing the action in front of a mirror through body babbling. The complete architecture was evaluated by simulation and real robot experiments performed on DARwIn-OP humanoid robot.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farhan Dawood
- 1 Advanced Robotics Lab, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia
| | - Chu Kiong Loo
- 2 Department of Artificial Intelligence, University of Malaya, Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia
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Cross ES, Hamilton AFDC, Cohen NR, Grafton ST. Learning to tie the knot: The acquisition of functional object representations by physical and observational experience. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0185044. [PMID: 29023463 PMCID: PMC5638238 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 09/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we examined neural substrates for physically and observationally learning to construct novel objects, and characterized brain regions associated with each kind of learning using fMRI. Each participant was assigned a training partner, and for five consecutive days practiced tying one group of knots (“tied” condition) or watched their partner tie different knots (“watched” condition) while a third set of knots remained untrained. Functional MRI was obtained prior to and immediately following the week of training while participants performed a visual knot-matching task. After training, a portion of left superior parietal lobule demonstrated a training by scan session interaction. This means this parietal region responded selectively to knots that participants had physically learned to tie in the post-training scan session but not the pre-training scan session. A conjunction analysis on the post-training scan data showed right intraparietal sulcus and right dorsal premotor cortex to respond when viewing images of knots from the tied and watched conditions compared to knots that were untrained during the post-training scan session. This suggests that these brain areas track both physical and observational learning. Together, the data provide preliminary evidence of engagement of brain regions associated with hand-object interactions when viewing objects associated with physical experience, and with observational experience without concurrent physical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily S. Cross
- Wales Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Bangor University, Bangor, Wales
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Nichola Rice Cohen
- Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Scott T. Grafton
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
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28
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Affective Touch Enhances Self-Face Recognition During Multisensory Integration. Sci Rep 2017; 7:12883. [PMID: 29018230 PMCID: PMC5635121 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-13345-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Multisensory integration is a powerful mechanism for constructing body awareness and key for the sense of selfhood. Recent evidence has shown that the specialised C tactile modality that gives rise to feelings of pleasant, affective touch, can enhance the experience of body ownership during multisensory integration. Nevertheless, no study has examined whether affective touch can also modulate psychological identification with our face, the hallmark of our identity. The current study used the enfacement illusion paradigm to investigate the role of affective touch in the modulation of self-face recognition during multisensory integration. In the first experiment (N = 30), healthy participants were stroked on the cheek while they were looking at another face being stroked on the cheek in synchrony or asynchrony with affective (slow; CT-optimal) vs. neutral (fast; CT-suboptimal) touch. In the second experiment (N = 38) spatial incongruence of touch (cheek vs. forehead) was used as a control condition instead of temporal asynchrony. Overall, our data suggest that CT-optimal, affective touch enhances subjective (but not behavioural) self-face recognition during synchronous and spatially congruent integration of different sensations and possibly reduces deafference during asynchronous multisensory integration. We discuss the role of affective touch in shaping the more social aspects of our self.
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29
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Meltzoff AN. Roots of Social Cognition. MINNESOTA SYMPOSIA ON CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/9781119466864.ch2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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30
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A Multimodal Perception Framework for Users Emotional State Assessment in Social Robotics. FUTURE INTERNET 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/fi9030042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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Riva G. The neuroscience of body memory: From the self through the space to the others. Cortex 2017; 104:241-260. [PMID: 28826604 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2017.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Revised: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Our experience of the body is not direct; rather, it is mediated by perceptual information, influenced by internal information, and recalibrated through stored implicit and explicit body representation (body memory). This paper presents an overview of the current investigations related to body memory by bringing together recent studies from neuropsychology, neuroscience, and evolutionary and cognitive psychology. To do so, in the paper, I explore the origin of representations of human body to elucidate their developmental process and, in particular, their relationship with more explicit concepts of self. First, it is suggested that our bodily experience is constructed from early development through the continuous integration of sensory and cultural data from six different representations of the body, i.e., the Sentient Body (Minimal Selfhood), the Spatial Body (Self Location), the Active Body (Agency), the Personal Body (Whole Body Ownership - Me); the Objectified Body (Objectified Self - Mine), and the Social Body (Body Satisfaction - Ideal Me). Then, it is suggested that these six representations can be combined in a coherent supramodal representation, i.e. the "body matrix", through a predictive, multisensory processing activated by central, top-down, attentional processes. From an evolutionary perspective, the main goal of the body matrix is to allow the self to protect and extend its boundaries at both the homeostatic and psychological levels. From one perspective, the self extends its boundaries (peripersonal space) through the enactment and recognition of motor schemas. From another perspective, the body matrix, by defining the boundaries of the body, also defines where the self is present, i.e., in the body that is processed by the body matrix as the most likely to be its one, and in the space surrounding it. In the paper I also introduce and discuss the concept of "embodied medicine": the use of advanced technology for altering the body matrix with the goal of improving our health and well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Riva
- Centro Studi e Ricerche di Psicologia Della Comunicazione, Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy; Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.
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32
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Wang Z, Wang H. A Comparison of English and Mandarin-Speaking Preschool Children's Imitation of Motion Events. Front Psychol 2017; 8:1081. [PMID: 28701987 PMCID: PMC5487459 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2016] [Accepted: 06/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Typically in English, a "satellite-framed" language, manner is expressed in the verb and path is expressed in supporting words. Past studies using looking time techniques suggest that English-speaking 3-year-olds show language-specific action processing, but 2.5-year-olds preferentially attend to path regardless of native language. In Study 1, we test whether language-specific action component preferences will be reflected in children's imitation, as a more explicit measure. Children who spoke English saw an adult move an object along a series of platforms using one of two paths and manners. Then, the children were given the opportunity to move the object on a different test platform, which was designed to force them to choose to reproduce either the demonstrated path or the manner. The results showed that 3-year-olds, but not 2.5-year-olds, were more likely to imitate the manner versus the path. In Study 2, we extend the investigation to a less commonly studied language within this domain, Mandarin. Typically in Mandarin, an "equipollently framed" language, both manner and path are expressed within equally significant verbs. The results indicated that 3-year-olds did not show a consistent preference to imitate either the path or the manner. In contrast, 2.5-year-olds were more likely to imitate the path than the manner. This research highlights the potential for the imitation choice paradigm, as an explicit measure, to understand how language affects cognition, and suggests a new language-specific pattern in action interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhidan Wang
- School of Educational Science, Jiangsu Normal UniversityXuzhou, China
| | - Haijing Wang
- School of Educational Science, Jiangsu Normal UniversityXuzhou, China
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Tõugu P, Suits K, Tulviste T. Developmental changes in children’s references to self and others in their recollections of past events: A longitudinal study. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/17405629.2017.1318750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pirko Tõugu
- Institute of Psychology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Kristi Suits
- Institute of Psychology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Tiia Tulviste
- Institute of Psychology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
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Sugata H, Hirata M, Tamura Y, Onishi H, Goto T, Araki T, Yorifuji S. Frequency-dependent oscillatory neural profiles during imitation. Sci Rep 2017; 7:45806. [PMID: 28393878 PMCID: PMC5385530 DOI: 10.1038/srep45806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Imitation is a complex process that includes higher-order cognitive and motor function. This process requires an observation-execution matching system that transforms an observed action into an identical movement. Although the low-gamma band is thought to reflect higher cognitive processes, no studies have focused on it. Here, we used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to examine the neural oscillatory changes including the low-gamma band during imitation. Twelve healthy, right-handed participants performed a finger task consisting of four conditions (imitation, execution, observation, and rest). During the imitation and execution conditions, significant event-related desynchronizations (ERDs) were observed at the left frontal, central, and parietal MEG sensors in the alpha, beta, and low-gamma bands. Functional connectivity analysis at the sensor level revealed an imitation-related connectivity between a group of frontal sensors and a group of parietal sensors in the low-gamma band. Furthermore, source reconstruction with synthetic aperture magnetometry showed significant ERDs in the low-gamma band in the left sensorimotor area and the middle frontal gyrus (MFG) during the imitation condition when compared with the other three conditions. Our results suggest that the oscillatory neural activities of the low-gamma band at the sensorimotor area and MFG play an important role in the observation-execution matching system related to imitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hisato Sugata
- Department of Neurosurgery, Osaka University Medical School, 2-2 E6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,Faculty of Welfare and Health Science, Oita University, 700 Dannoharu, Oita, 870-1192, Japan
| | - Masayuki Hirata
- Department of Neurosurgery, Osaka University Medical School, 2-2 E6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,Endowed Research Department of Clinical Neuroengineering, Global Center for Medical Engineering and Informatics, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yuichi Tamura
- Division of Functional Diagnostic Science, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-7 Yamadaka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hisao Onishi
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Osaka Prefecture University, 3-7-30 Habikino, Habikino, Osaka, 583-8555, Japan
| | - Tetsu Goto
- Department of Neurosurgery, Osaka University Medical School, 2-2 E6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,Division of Functional Diagnostic Science, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-7 Yamadaka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Araki
- Division of Functional Diagnostic Science, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-7 Yamadaka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Shiro Yorifuji
- Division of Functional Diagnostic Science, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-7 Yamadaka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan A. Verschoor
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich; Leiden University, Institute for Psychological Research and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition
| | - Bernhard Hommel
- Leiden University, Institute for Psychological Research and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition
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36
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Bishop-Fitzpatrick L, Mazefsky CA, Eack SM, Minshew NJ. Correlates of Social Functioning in Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role of Social Cognition. RESEARCH IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS 2017; 35:25-34. [PMID: 28839456 PMCID: PMC5565224 DOI: 10.1016/j.rasd.2016.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience marked challenges with social function by definition, but few modifiable predictors of social functioning in ASD have been identified in extant research. This study hypothesized that deficits in social cognition and motor function may help to explain poor social functioning in individuals with ASD. METHOD Cross-sectional data from 108 individuals with ASD and without intellectual disability ages 9 through 27.5 were used to assess the relationship between social cognition and motor function, and social functioning. RESULTS Results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that greater social cognition, but not motor function, was significantly associated with better social functioning when controlling for sex, age, and intelligence quotient. Post-hoc analyses revealed that, better performance on second-order false belief tasks was associated with higher levels of socially adaptive behavior and lower levels of social problems. CONCLUSIONS Our findings support the development and testing of interventions that target social cognition in order to improve social functioning in individuals with ASD. Interventions that teach generalizable skills to help people with ASD better understand social situations and develop competency in advanced perspective taking have the potential to create more durable change because their effects can be applied to a wide and varied set of situations and not simply a prescribed set of rehearsed situations.
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Asakura N, Inui T. A Bayesian Framework for False Belief Reasoning in Children: A Rational Integration of Theory-Theory and Simulation Theory. Front Psychol 2016; 7:2019. [PMID: 28082941 PMCID: PMC5186777 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.02019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Two apparently contrasting theories have been proposed to account for the development of children's theory of mind (ToM): theory-theory and simulation theory. We present a Bayesian framework that rationally integrates both theories for false belief reasoning. This framework exploits two internal models for predicting the belief states of others: one of self and one of others. These internal models are responsible for simulation-based and theory-based reasoning, respectively. The framework further takes into account empirical studies of a developmental ToM scale (e.g., Wellman and Liu, 2004): developmental progressions of various mental state understandings leading up to false belief understanding. By representing the internal models and their interactions as a causal Bayesian network, we formalize the model of children's false belief reasoning as probabilistic computations on the Bayesian network. This model probabilistically weighs and combines the two internal models and predicts children's false belief ability as a multiplicative effect of their early-developed abilities to understand the mental concepts of diverse beliefs and knowledge access. Specifically, the model predicts that children's proportion of correct responses on a false belief task can be closely approximated as the product of their proportions correct on the diverse belief and knowledge access tasks. To validate this prediction, we illustrate that our model provides good fits to a variety of ToM scale data for preschool children. We discuss the implications and extensions of our model for a deeper understanding of developmental progressions of children's ToM abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Toshio Inui
- Department of Psychology, Otemon Gakuin University Osaka, Japan
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38
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The Evolution of Facultative Conformity Based on Similarity. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0168551. [PMID: 28002461 PMCID: PMC5176289 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Accepted: 12/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Conformist social learning can have a pronounced impact on the cultural evolution of human societies, and it can shape both the genetic and cultural evolution of human social behavior more broadly. Conformist social learning is beneficial when the social learner and the demonstrators from whom she learns are similar in the sense that the same behavior is optimal for both. Otherwise, the social learner's optimum is likely to be rare among demonstrators, and conformity is costly. The trade-off between these two situations has figured prominently in the longstanding debate about the evolution of conformity, but the importance of the trade-off can depend critically on the flexibility of one's social learning strategy. We developed a gene-culture coevolutionary model that allows cognition to encode and process information about the similarity between naive learners and experienced demonstrators. Facultative social learning strategies that condition on perceived similarity evolve under certain circumstances. When this happens, facultative adjustments are often asymmetric. Asymmetric adjustments mean that the tendency to follow the majority when learners perceive demonstrators as similar is stronger than the tendency to follow the minority when learners perceive demonstrators as different. In an associated incentivized experiment, we found that social learners adjusted how they used social information based on perceived similarity, but adjustments were symmetric. The symmetry of adjustments completely eliminated the commonly assumed trade-off between cases in which learners and demonstrators share an optimum versus cases in which they do not. In a second experiment that maximized the potential for social learners to follow their preferred strategies, a few social learners exhibited an inclination to follow the majority. Most, however, did not respond systematically to social information. Additionally, in the complete absence of information about their similarity to demonstrators, social learners were unwilling to make assumptions about whether they shared an optimum with demonstrators. Instead, social learners simply ignored social information even though this was the only information available. Our results suggest that social cognition equips people to use conformity in a discriminating fashion that moderates the evolutionary trade-offs that would occur if conformist social learning was rigidly applied.
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Loucks J, Mutschler C, Meltzoff AN. Children's Representation and Imitation of Events: How Goal Organization Influences 3-Year-Old Children's Memory for Action Sequences. Cogn Sci 2016; 41:1904-1933. [PMID: 27882595 DOI: 10.1111/cogs.12446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2015] [Revised: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Children's imitation of adults plays a prominent role in human cognitive development. However, few studies have investigated how children represent the complex structure of observed actions which underlies their imitation. We integrate theories of action segmentation, memory, and imitation to investigate whether children's event representation is organized according to veridical serial order or a higher level goal structure. Children were randomly assigned to learn novel event sequences either through interactive hands-on experience (Study 1) or via storybook (Study 2). Results demonstrate that children's representation of observed actions is organized according to higher level goals, even at the cost of representing the veridical temporal ordering of the sequence. We argue that prioritizing goal structure enhances event memory, and that this mental organization is a key mechanism of social-cognitive development in real-world, dynamic environments. It supports cultural learning and imitation in ecologically valid settings when social agents are multitasking and not demonstrating one isolated goal at a time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeff Loucks
- Department of Psychology, University of Regina
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Abdai J, Miklósi Á. The Origin of Social Evaluation, Social Eavesdropping, Reputation Formation, Image Scoring or What You Will. Front Psychol 2016; 7:1772. [PMID: 27895610 PMCID: PMC5107560 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 10/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Social evaluation is a mental process that leverages the preference toward prosocial partners (positivity bias) against the avoidance of antisocial individuals (negativity bias) in a cooperative context. The phenomenon is well-known in humans, and recently comparative investigations looked at the possible evolutionary origins. So far social evaluation has been investigated mainly in non-human and human primates and dogs, however, there are few data on the presence of negativity/positivity bias in client-cleaner reef fish interactions as well. Unfortunately, the comparative approach to social evaluation is hindered by conceptual and procedural differences in experimental studies. By reviewing current knowledge on social evaluation in different species, we aim to point out that the capacity for social evaluation is not restricted to humans alone; however, its building blocks (negativity and positivity bias) may be more widespread separately. Due to its importance in survival, negativity bias likely to be widespread among animals; however, there has been less intensive selective pressure for the identification of prosocial companions, thus the latter ability may have emerged only in certain social species. We present a general framework and argue that negativity and positivity bias evolve independently and can be considered as social evaluation only if a unified behavior and cognitive system deals with both biases in concert.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judit Abdai
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapest, Hungary
| | - Ádám Miklósi
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapest, Hungary
- MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research GroupBudapest, Hungary
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Baker LJ, Hymel AM, Levin DT. Anthropomorphism and Intentionality Improve Memory for Events. DISCOURSE PROCESSES 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/0163853x.2016.1223517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lewis J. Baker
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University
| | - Alicia M. Hymel
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University
| | - Daniel T. Levin
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University
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Longitudinal prediction of language emergence in infants at high and low risk for autism spectrum disorder. Dev Psychopathol 2016; 29:319-329. [PMID: 27048735 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579416000146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
This study used a prospective longitudinal design to examine the early developmental pathways that underlie language growth in infants at high risk (n = 50) and low risk (n = 34) for autism spectrum disorder in the first 18 months of life. While motor imitation and responding to joint attention (RJA) have both been found to predict expressive language in children with autism spectrum disorder and those with typical development, the longitudinal relation between these capacities has not yet been identified. As hypothesized, results revealed that 15-month RJA mediated the association between 12-month motor imitation and 18-month expressive vocabulary, even after controlling for earlier levels of RJA and vocabulary. These results provide new information about the developmental sequencing of skills relevant to language growth that may inform future intervention efforts for children at risk for language delay or other developmental challenges.
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Brainstem White Matter Predicts Individual Differences in Manual Motor Difficulties and Symptom Severity in Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 2016; 45:3030-40. [PMID: 26001365 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-015-2467-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Mounting evidence suggests that poorer motor skills may be related to more severe autism symptoms. This study investigated if atypical white matter microstructure in the brain mediated the relationship between motor skills and ASD symptom severity. Sixty-seven males with ASD and 42 males with typical development (5-33 years old) completed a diffusion tensor imaging scan and measures of grip strength, finger tapping, and autism symptom severity. Within the ASD group, weaker grip strength predicted more severe autism symptoms. Fractional anisotropy of the brainstem's corticospinal tract predicted both grip strength and autism symptom severity and mediated the relationship between the two. These findings suggest that brainstem white matter may contribute to autism symptoms and grip strength in ASD.
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Dawood F, Loo CK. View-Invariant Visuomotor Processing in Computational Mirror Neuron System for Humanoid. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0152003. [PMID: 26998923 PMCID: PMC4801384 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2015] [Accepted: 03/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Mirror neurons are visuo-motor neurons found in primates and thought to be significant for imitation learning. The proposition that mirror neurons result from associative learning while the neonate observes his own actions has received noteworthy empirical support. Self-exploration is regarded as a procedure by which infants become perceptually observant to their own body and engage in a perceptual communication with themselves. We assume that crude sense of self is the prerequisite for social interaction. However, the contribution of mirror neurons in encoding the perspective from which the motor acts of others are seen have not been addressed in relation to humanoid robots. In this paper we present a computational model for development of mirror neuron system for humanoid based on the hypothesis that infants acquire MNS by sensorimotor associative learning through self-exploration capable of sustaining early imitation skills. The purpose of our proposed model is to take into account the view-dependency of neurons as a probable outcome of the associative connectivity between motor and visual information. In our experiment, a humanoid robot stands in front of a mirror (represented through self-image using camera) in order to obtain the associative relationship between his own motor generated actions and his own visual body-image. In the learning process the network first forms mapping from each motor representation onto visual representation from the self-exploratory perspective. Afterwards, the representation of the motor commands is learned to be associated with all possible visual perspectives. The complete architecture was evaluated by simulation experiments performed on DARwIn-OP humanoid robot.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farhan Dawood
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Chu Kiong Loo
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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45
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Gerson SA, Bekkering H, Hunnius S. Do You Do as I Do?: Young Toddlers Prefer and Copy Toy Choices of Similarly Acting Others. INFANCY 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/infa.12142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A. Gerson
- School of Psychology; Cardiff University
- Radboud University Nijmegen; Donders Institute for Brain; Cognition, & Behaviour
| | - Harold Bekkering
- Radboud University Nijmegen; Donders Institute for Brain; Cognition, & Behaviour
| | - Sabine Hunnius
- Radboud University Nijmegen; Donders Institute for Brain; Cognition, & Behaviour
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Hale J, Hamilton AFDC. Cognitive mechanisms for responding to mimicry from others. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 63:106-23. [PMID: 26877104 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Revised: 01/04/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Compared to our understanding of neurocognitive processes involved producing mimicry, the downstream consequences of being mimicked are less clear. A wide variety of positive consequences of mimicry, such as liking and helping, have been reported in behavioural research. However, an in-depth review suggests the link from mimicry to liking and other positive outcomes may be fragile. Positive responses to mimicry can break down due to individual factors and social situations where mimicry may be unexpected. It remains unclear how the complex behavioural effects of mimicry relate to neural systems which respond to being mimicked. Mimicry activates regions associated with mirror properties, self-other processing and reward. In this review, we outline three potential models linking these regions with cognitive consequences of being mimicked. The models suggest that positive downstream consequences of mimicry may depend upon self-other overlap, detection of contingency or low prediction error. Finally, we highlight limitations with traditional research designs and suggest alternative methods for achieving highly ecological validity and experimental control. We also highlight unanswered questions which may guide future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Hale
- UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Alexandra House, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, UK.
| | - Antonia F de C Hamilton
- UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Alexandra House, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, UK.
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Hahn LJ. Joint Attention and Early Social Developmental Cascades in Neurogenetic Disorders. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2016; 51:123-152. [PMID: 29071204 PMCID: PMC5653316 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irrdd.2016.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
This review examines what is known about joint attention and early social development in three neurogenetic syndromes: Down syndrome, Williams syndrome, and fragile X syndrome. In addition, the potential cascading effects of joint attention on subsequent social development, especially social interaction and social cognition are proposed. The potential issues and complexities associated with conducting prospective, longitudinal studies of infant social development in neurogenetic disorders are discussed.
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48
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Dawood F, Loo CK. Incremental episodic segmentation and imitative learning of humanoid robot through self-exploration. Neurocomputing 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neucom.2015.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Chung MJY, Friesen AL, Fox D, Meltzoff AN, Rao RPN. A Bayesian Developmental Approach to Robotic Goal-Based Imitation Learning. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0141965. [PMID: 26536366 PMCID: PMC4633237 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2015] [Accepted: 10/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A fundamental challenge in robotics today is building robots that can learn new skills by observing humans and imitating human actions. We propose a new Bayesian approach to robotic learning by imitation inspired by the developmental hypothesis that children use self-experience to bootstrap the process of intention recognition and goal-based imitation. Our approach allows an autonomous agent to: (i) learn probabilistic models of actions through self-discovery and experience, (ii) utilize these learned models for inferring the goals of human actions, and (iii) perform goal-based imitation for robotic learning and human-robot collaboration. Such an approach allows a robot to leverage its increasing repertoire of learned behaviors to interpret increasingly complex human actions and use the inferred goals for imitation, even when the robot has very different actuators from humans. We demonstrate our approach using two different scenarios: (i) a simulated robot that learns human-like gaze following behavior, and (ii) a robot that learns to imitate human actions in a tabletop organization task. In both cases, the agent learns a probabilistic model of its own actions, and uses this model for goal inference and goal-based imitation. We also show that the robotic agent can use its probabilistic model to seek human assistance when it recognizes that its inferred actions are too uncertain, risky, or impossible to perform, thereby opening the door to human-robot collaboration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Jae-Yoon Chung
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Abram L. Friesen
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Dieter Fox
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Andrew N. Meltzoff
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Rajesh P. N. Rao
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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50
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Body maps in the infant brain. Trends Cogn Sci 2015; 19:499-505. [PMID: 26231760 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2015.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Revised: 06/27/2015] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Researchers have examined representations of the body in the adult brain but relatively little attention has been paid to ontogenetic aspects of neural body maps in human infants. Novel applications of methods for recording brain activity in infants are delineating cortical body maps in the first months of life. Body maps may facilitate infants' registration of similarities between self and other - an ability that is foundational to developing social cognition. Alterations in interpersonal aspects of body representations might also contribute to social deficits in certain neurodevelopmental disorders.
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