The concept of mirror neurons were discussed in this lesson. This idea states that neurons respond to both performing an action and watching someone else perform that action (Goldstein, 2011). This presents the idea that mirror neurons may be responsible for our ability to relate to other people. Studies have shown that mirror neurons are a contributing factor in empathy and understanding other people. This also means that people without mirror neurons, or with damaged mirror neurons, may struggle with social situations and feeling empathetic.
V.S. Ramachandran, a neuroscience professor at the University of California, San Diego, discussed the role of mirror neurons in empathy. He brings up the point that to truly feel empathy for someone, we must feel what they are feeling. Mirror neurons are what allow this to happen. If we are watching someone else in pain, we must understand and be able to imagine that type of pain to be empathetic towards them. However, Ramachandran also says that mirror neurons are not entirely responsible for empathy (Marsh, 2012). They are a foundation, but not the entire process.
Early research is also indicating that deficiencies in mirror neurons may be responsible for disorders such as autism, where individuals are largely incapable of feeling empathy and understanding social cues. Since mirror neurons are partially responsible for why we can feel what others feel, researchers believe that those with difficultly understanding others may have limited mirror neuron activity. A study in 2005 published by Cognitive Brain Research demonstrated that when measuring mirror neuron activity, individuals high on the autism spectrum displayed diminished capabilities (Oberman, et. al.) This strongly favors the idea that mirror neurons play a role in empathy and understanding, which is often lacking in individuals with autism.
While the previously mentioned research shows strong connections between social functioning skills and mirror neurons, it is important to point out that they are not entirely responsible for these behaviors. As V.S. Ramachandran points out, generations of observation and imitation also play a key role in understanding social cues (Marsh, 2012). This is also related to top-down processing, which was discussed in this lesson. Top-down processing is the idea that our perception is based on our prior knowledge (Goldstein, 2011). According to this idea, we may develop social understanding by making sense of previous interactions and applying that knowledge to future interactions. Researchers believe that both mirror neurons and top-down processing are responsible for the development of social skills and human understanding.
We can see that mirror neurons are a large part of human interaction and that they are still undergoing much research. Mirror neurons have been shown to be linked to experiencing empathy. They are also believed to be partially responsible for disorders where individuals have difficulty feeling empathy and understanding social interactions. Ideas connecting mirror neurons and autism are still early, but studies have demonstrated strong relationships between the two. In addition to mirror neurons, the idea of top-down processing and perceiving things based on our prior knowledge, is a factor in how we interact with other humans. This type of processing and mirror neurons work together to develop and maintain the social skills we use every day.
References
Goldstein, E.B. (2011). Cognitive psychology. (3rd ed.) Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning
Marsh, J. (2012). Do mirror neurons give us empathy? University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved from http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/do_mirror_neurons_give_empathy
Oberman, L.M., Hubbard, E.M., McCleery, J.P., Altschuler, E.L., Ramachandran, V.S., Pineda, J.A. (2005). EEG evidence for mirror neuron dysfunction in autism spectrum disorders. Cognitive Brain Research, 24, 190-198.