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| Research article summary (published 29 Sep 2005): |
Imitation: is cognitive neuroscience solving the correspondence problem?
Full Abstract
Imitation poses a unique problem: how does the imitator know what pattern of motor activation will make their action look like that of the model? Specialist theories suggest that this correspondence problem has a unique solution; there are functional and neurological mechanisms dedicated to controlling imitation. Generalist theories propose that the problem is solved by general mechanisms of associative learning and action control. Recent research in cognitive neuroscience, stimulated by the discovery of mirror neurons, supports generalist solutions. Imitation is based on the automatic activation of motor representations by movement observation. These externally triggered motor representations are then used to reproduce the observed behaviour. This imitative capacity depends on learned perceptual-motor links. Finally, mechanisms distinguishing self from other are implicated in the inhibition of imitative behaviour.
Author information
Author/s: Brass, Marcel (M); Heyes, Cecilia (C);
Affiliation: Department of Cognitive Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstrasse 1A, 04103 Leipzig, Germany. brass(-atsign-)cbs.mpg.de
Journal and publication information
Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Review
Journal: Trends in cognitive sciences (Trends Cogn Sci), published in England. (Language: eng)
Reference: 2005-Oct; vol 9 (issue 10) : pp 489-95
Dates: Created 2005/09/26; Completed 2005/12/08; Revised 2006/11/15;
PMID: 16126449, status: MEDLINE (last retrieved date: 2/18/2009)
Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.
Comments and Corrections
CommentIn: Trends Cogn Sci. 2006 Mar;10(3):94-5; author reply 95-6. (PMID: 16460991)
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