Mirroring, Empathy, and Group ProcessesA Perspective from Neuroscience

Associate Professor Ross CunningtonQueensland Brain Institute and School of Psychology

University of Queensland

Historical perspective

We have a natural tendency to imitatethe actions of others

• Charles Darwin (1872)• Spectators at leaping matches move their own feet as if

imitating the competitors• Man has a “strong tendency to imitation, independently of

the conscious will”

• Darwin, 1872, The expression of the emotions in man and animals

Imitation and Simulation

Simulation TheoryUnderstanding others through simulation

We understand others’ mental andemotional states and intentions bysimulating their state in our own mind.

Simulation and Theory Theory

Goldman 2006. Simulating Minds

Mirror NeuronsObservation and Execution of Action

• Mirror Neurons fire when a monkey performs an action, and when it observes the same action being performed

• “Mirrors” the state of the other in the monkey’s own brain

Gallese et al, Brain, 1996

Prof RizzolattiUniversity of Parma, Italy

Mirror MechanismsUnderstanding others by simulation or “mirroring”

VisualSystem

MotorSystem

Plans for Action

Observed Action

• Mirror system:

– Automatically maps observed actions to the motor system

• “We understand actions when we map the visual representation of the observed action onto our motor representation of the same action”

Rizzolatti et al, Nature Reviews Neuroscience 2001

Empathy in the Brain

When we observe emotions of others, some of their brain state is mirrored or simulated in our own brain.

Prof Tania SingerMax Planck Institute, Leipzig

Affective / Emotional AreasThe “unpleasantness” of pain• active during BOTH actual pain

and observed pain

Sensory Areas : Sensation of Pain• NOT active during observed pain

Singer et al, Science, 2004

Neural Empathy – Pain

Empathy and Group Association

• Group Association

– We form associations with people we perceive as like-us

– in-group vs. out-group(Social Identity Theory)

• Group Behaviour

– In-group: favouritism, conformity, helping

– Out-group: prejudice, discrimination, conflict

• Neural empathy and mirroring depends on Group Association– Stronger for In-Group members than Out-Group members

Hein et al, Neuron, 2010

“In-Group” versus “Out-Group” Empathy

• Fans of rival football teams– Observed Pain to In-Group and Out-

Group members

• On each trial, could decide:– Help – Take half pain– Watch a football video– Watch the other receive pain

• More “mirroring” empathy brain activity for In-Group– Correlated with helping behaviour

Singer et al, Nature, 2006

“In-Group” versus “Out-Group” Empathy

• Replicated many times• Greater mirroring for

– Fair versus unfair players– “Minimal” groups

Molenberghs et al, Human Brain Mapping, 2013

Multi-Person Social Neuroscience

• Very recent research field• Practical problems for brain imaging• Can measure synchrony or shared

brain activity between interacting partners

• Heart Rate Variability (HRV)– Controlled by the brain

– Arousal Level = Continuum from- asleep / bored to- engaged / focussed to- stressed / fearful / anxious

Between-Person Synchrony – Connectivity

• Methods used for computing Brain Connectivity can be used to assess inter-person connectivity and group processes

Graph Theory