mirror neurons
Summary
Mirror neurons are neurons that fire both when an individual performs an action and when that individual watches another perform a similar action. They are proposed to support observational learning, imitation, and empathy, though their exact role in humans is still debated.
Detail
Meaning: Mirror neurons were first recorded in the premotor cortex of macaque monkeys. They fire when the animal carries out a goal-directed action, such as grasping an object, and also when it sees another individual do the same action. Brain regions with similar mirroring activity have been reported in humans, mainly in frontal and parietal areas. The idea is that the observer's brain internally simulates the action, which could help explain imitation, understanding of other people's intentions, and empathy.
On the MCAT: Expect them in passages on observational learning (modeling, as in Bandura's work), empathy, or social cognition. A typical question asks which finding would support a mirror neuron account, such as similar activation while performing and while watching an action. Another asks which behavior they might help explain, such as learning a skill by watching a demonstration or feeling distress when seeing someone in pain. You may also be asked to place them in the frontal lobe's motor planning areas.
Common confusion: Students treat mirror neurons as proven causes of empathy. That link is a hypothesis. Much human evidence is indirect, from imaging, and shows association rather than cause. They also are not simple movement copiers: their response tends to track the goal of an action, not just the muscle movement.
Sources
- Psychology (Myers)
- Introduction to Psychology (Kassin)
- Discovering Psychology (Hockenbury)
Written for the MCAT and checked before it was published. For study reference only. Spotted an error? Let us know.