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Mirroring, Empathy, and Group ProcessesA Perspective from Neuroscience
Associate Professor Ross CunningtonQueensland Brain Institute and School of Psychology
University of Queensland
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Between-Person Synchrony – Connectivity
• Methods used for computing Brain Connectivity can be used to assess inter-person connectivity and group processes
Graph Theory