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Action, Perception and the Brain pp 164–189Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Contributions of Mirror Mechanisms to the Embodiment of Cognition

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Part of the book series: New Directions in Philosophy and Cognitive Science ((NDPCS))

Abstract

Mirror neurons in the macaque are equally active when the animal initiates an action and when the animal observes another take the same or similar action. These neurons may be used in goal recognition (I recognize the goal of your action through resonance of that part of my motor system used by me to accomplish a particular goal), inferring intent, empathy, and, in general, greasing the wheels of social interaction. I describe in this chapter a new methodology for investigating mirror mechanism function: because some mirror neurons are part of the motor system they can be adapted through repeated action; and, because mirror neurons are multimodal, the effect of that adaptation can be shown in other cognitive tasks, thereby demonstrating the causal effect of the mirror mechanism on that other cognitive task.

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Authors
  1. Arthur M. Glenberg
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Georgetown University, USA

    Jay Schulkin

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© 2012 Arthur M. Glenberg

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Glenberg, A.M. (2012). Contributions of Mirror Mechanisms to the Embodiment of Cognition. In: Schulkin, J. (eds) Action, Perception and the Brain. New Directions in Philosophy and Cognitive Science. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230360792_8

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