The Mirror System (TMS)
The definition of the Mirror System
A network of mirror neurons involving the brain's motor cortex that activate when you watch someone perform an action and when you perform the action yourself.
T/F: Watching someone clap their hands would activate your mirror neurons the same as if you were clapping your hands yourself.
True.
T/F: English is more challenging than languages like Spanish and Russian.
True. The irregular pronunciations makes English more challenging than languages with consistent pronunciations.
Giacomo Rizzolatti and his colleagues
These researchers recorded the vigorous responses of single neurons in the motor cortex of several monkeys as they watched a researcher breaking open a peanut, very similar to the response pattern when the monkeys themselves broke open a peanut.
Plays a role in language comprehension
Mirror Neurons
We can identify an isolated word in about _____.
200 milliseconds, which is 1/5 of a second.
fMRI data gathered by Calvo-Merino for individuals who were experts in classical ballet
Their fMRI showed significantly greater activation in the motor cortex areas relevant to ballet movements while watching videos of classical ballet & little activation in the areas relevant to capoeira while they watched videos of capoeira
How does it relate to empathy?
Watching someone who's terrified allows you to empathize and feel their terror, like when watching a horror movie.
We manage to read quickly, typically at the rate of about ____.
255 words per minute
fMRI data gathered by Calvo-Merino for individuals who were experts in capoeira
Their fMRI data showed significant activation in motor cortex areas relevant to capoeira movements while watching capoeira videos and little activation in the areas relevant to capoeira when watching ballet videos
Example of how is it used to communicate?
Being in a loud setting requires us to use physical cues to try and communicate/understand what someone is trying to communicate or sign language
T/F: We have a one-to-one correspondence between letters of the alphabet and speech sounds.
False. We have irregular pronunciations.
Conclusion on Calvo-Merino fMRI data gathered
Experts can grasp meaning by watching another person when they have fully developed the appropriate motor "vocabulary"
T/F: (Rizzolatti & Craighero research) Mirror neurons activate whether the food item is grabbed with a researcher's hands or a tool
False. The mirror neurons in the monkey's brains would only activate when grabbed using the researcher's hands.
T/F: We can use most of this psycholinguistic research mentioned for Chinese readers.
False. Most of the research examines people whose language is English, because the Chinese language uses symbols to represent complete words.