Mirror Neurons

Why do we jump when startled by a scene in a scary movie? Why do our brains act as if we were playing a sport while we are only watching it on TV? In the early nineties, the neurophysiologist Vittorio Gallese, working on the Giacomo Rizzolatti team at the University of Parma, observed that while he had picked up an object, a macaque monkey sitting quietly wired for an experiment in the lab mirrored his action with neurons associated with motor activity. This was the first recorded observation of “mirror neurons” in action. In the years following this accidental discovery mirror neurons have been studied with both single-cell research and brain imaging.

Wenow have a well developed understanding of neural mirroring, but much speculation on the actual function of the mirror neurons has followed the Parma discovery. In his excellent bookMirroringPeople: The Science of Empathy and How We Connect with Others ,neuroscientist Marco Iacoboni lays out the deep ramifications of the existence of the mirror neuron system in the brain. Much of the mirror neuron activity is automatic and happens at the unconscious level. According to Iacoboni, “Mirror neurons help us reenact in our brain the intentions of other people, giving us a profound understanding of their mental states”. Such imitation leads to greater social intimacy and can form a sense of intersubjectivity with people close to us. Mirror neurons have a powerful impact on the individual’s social competence. In Iacoboni’s words “reciprocal mimicry… is a key aspect of social interaction”. Mirror neural system activity also offers an excellent indication of identification, which can serve as a predictor of the choices people make when choosing social groups, brands and political candidates.

At abroader level, the understanding that “our neurobiology dictates our social behavior” gives us a critical insight into the nature of many aspects of our social interactions from the way we communicate with our family, friends and coworkers to the early child education, to new approaches of working with patients with autism and means we use to brand products. This powerfulknowledge, stemming from neuroscience also shows a great potential for the design of compelling user experiences leading to more successful social and technological innovations.

Ehrenfeld,Temma. (2011, March). Reflections on Mirror Neurons. Observer.
 http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/publications/observer/2011/march-11/reflections-on-mirror-neurons.html

Giacomo Rizzolatti – Mirror neurons: from monkey to human, Feb 18, 2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKPTuCoop8c

Iacoboni, Marco, Mirroring People: The Science of Empathy and How We Connect with Others http://books.google.ca/booksid=FEWWzxLlP8YC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false