PSYC1020 Lecture 13: 13B Mirror neurons and empathy
Document Summary
We have a natural tendency to imitate the actions of others we observe. Yawn contagion: contagious yawning, evoked by the yawn produced by a conspecific and widely demonstrated in human and non-human primates. People rated as more empathetic are more susceptible to contagious yawning. People rated as more coldhearted" on the psychopathic personality inventory are less susceptible to contagious yawning. But evidence supporting the connection between contagious yawning and empathy is inconsistent and inconclusive. Theory theory - rational evaluation of others" situation, based on knowledge from past experience (thinking: when i"ve gotten needles in the past, they hurt, so she must be in pain) Research found that neurons in the motor cortex of monkeys fired when the monkey performed an action, and when it observed the same action being performed. Mirror neurons - neurons that fire both when performing an action and when observing someone else performing the same action.
