Theory of Mind in Autism and Imitation Studies

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Questions and Answers

What aspect of Theory of Mind is suggested to be a key issue in autism according to Baron-Cohen?

  • Theory of mind deficit (correct)
  • Ability to imitate actions of others
  • Social communication skills
  • Understanding others' emotions

In Iacoboni et al.'s study, which condition showed the greatest activity in the mirror neuron system?

  • Moving the right index for a left 'x'
  • Imitating the middle or index finger movements (correct)
  • Moving the finger on which the x is displayed
  • Moving the right middle finger for a right 'x'

What consistent finding was reported regarding individuals with autism in the context of imitation?

  • They readily imitate the actions of others
  • They specifically imitate emotional expressions
  • They imitate more than typically developing individuals
  • They do not readily imitate the actions of others (correct)

In the EEG study by Oberman et al., what was measured to assess mirror neuron dysfunction?

<p>Mu wave activity over motor cortex (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following conditions did controls show greater activation for compared to individuals with ASD, as noted in Williams et al. 2006?

<p>Imitation condition (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In the study involving high-functioning children with autism, which condition did not show mu suppression in the participants?

<p>Watching bouncing ball video (A), Watching moving hand video (B), Watching visual noise (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What conclusion can be drawn from Cattaneo et al. (2007) regarding mouth muscle activation?

<p>Both groups activate mouth muscles when completing similar tasks. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What finding was reported in Dapretto et al. (2006) regarding the activation of the mirror neuron system?

<p>The more severe the autism, the less the mirror neuron system activated. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which theory is supported by evidence linking mirror neuron dysfunction and Imitation in autism?

<p>Impairment in imitation is attributed to dysfunction in the mirror neuron system. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What inconsistency in findings related to the mirror neuron system dysfunction in autism was mentioned?

<p>Inconsistent evidence of MNS dysfunction reported in some studies. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of mirror neurons in the context of autism as proposed in the broken mirrors hypothesis?

<p>They are essential for understanding others' intentions. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to the Direct Matching Hypothesis, what happens when an observer watches an action being performed?

<p>The motor system of the observer mimics the observed action without conscious effort. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a major limitation of the mirror neuron deficit theory in relation to autism?

<p>Imitation abilities in autism are not adequately explained by mirror neuron activity. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of discussions on action understanding as described in the content?

<p>To explore the role of context in interpreting ambiguous actions. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the priming task in the study mentioned?

<p>It determines the influence of social primes on constructing grammatically correct sentences. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the motor-simulation account struggle to explain according to the criticism presented?

<p>The significance of non-motoric context in understanding actions. (B), The ambiguity of actions and their outcomes. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to the critique, what is necessary to select the correct motor chain for an action?

<p>Inference of the movement’s goal based on context. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role does the parieto-frontal mirror mechanism play in understanding actions?

<p>It activates motor representations to simulate observed actions. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why might one simulate a different motor chain for the same observed action in varied contexts?

<p>Different contexts can imply different goals for the observed action. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is considered a limitation of observing an action in isolation?

<p>It does not allow for understanding the intended outcome of the action. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Theory of Mind (ToM)

The ability to understand that others have different thoughts, beliefs, and perspectives than our own.

False Belief Test

A specific type of ToM test where participants must predict another person's actions based on their false belief about an object's location.

Mirror Neuron System (MNS)

The neural basis of imitation, where neurons fire both when we perform an action and when we observe someone else performing it.

Imitation in Autism

Individuals with autism may struggle with imitation due to potential dysfunction in the mirror neuron system.

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EEG Evidence of MN Dysfunction in Autism

Electroencephalography (EEG) studies show reduced activity in areas associated with the mirror neuron system in individuals with Autism, potentially indicating a neural basis for their challenges with imitation.

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Echolalia

Involuntary repetition of speech patterns. For example, a child with echolalia might repeat phrases or words spoken by others.

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Echopraxia

Involuntary imitation of observed actions. For example, a person with echopraxia might copy the movements of someone they see.

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Direct Matching Hypothesis

A hypothesis that suggests that understanding actions involves matching the visual representation of the observed action to our own motor representation of that action.

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Action Understanding: Ambiguity & Context

The idea that actions are ambiguous and require context for interpretation. Mirror neurons alone cannot fully explain action understanding.

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Mirror Neuron Theory: Intentions & Goals

A theory that explains that mirror neurons are involved in understanding the intentions of others by inferring future goals based on observed actions.

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Mu Suppression

A decrease in brain activity measured by the mu wave, observed during action observation or execution.

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Broken Mirrors in Autism

A condition where mirror neurons are not activated during imitation of emotional expressions leading to difficulties in understanding and replicating others' emotions.

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Action Imitation

The ability to understand and imitate actions, an important skill for social interaction.

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Increased Imitation in Autism

A phenomenon where individuals with autism are more likely to engage in imitation in some cases, contradicting the classic 'broken mirror' theory.

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Motor Simulation Theory

The theory that we understand actions by activating the same motor neurons in our brain as the person performing the action.

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Ambiguity of Actions

Actions can be interpreted differently depending on the context in which they are performed.

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Non-motoric Context

Information that is not directly related to the physical movement itself, such as the environment, objects present, and prior knowledge.

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Outcome Prediction

The ability to predict the outcome of an action based on the context in which it takes place.

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Understanding Precedes Simulation

The idea that understanding an action might require inferring its goal first, rather than simply simulating the motor movement.

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Study Notes

Broken Mirrors

  • Theory of mind deficits are a key aspect of autism (Baron-Cohen).
  • The same thoughts may not be shared due to differing knowledge bases.
  • Imitation and mirror neurons might underpin theory of mind deficits.
  • Simulation theory involves putting oneself in another's shoes, acting as if you are that other person.

False Belief Test

  • A test for theory of mind is the false-belief task.
  • 23/27 control participants (4;5 years old) passed the test
  • 12/14 Down's Syndrome participants (10;11 years old) passed the test.
  • 16/20 autism participants (11;11 years old) failed the test.

Imitation and Mirror Neurons

  • Three different conditions were tested, involving index finger movements.
  • Imitating movements where the position is marked with an 'x' (left index or middle finger).
  • Activity in the mirror neuron system was greater in the first condition (comparing activity to baseline).
  • The extra activity in the first condition is thought to relate to the mirror neurons coding of imitation.
  • There are 21 experimental studies on imitation abilities in autistic individuals.
  • Autistic individuals were found to struggle with imitating the actions of others.

EEG Evidence of Mirror Neuron Dysfunction in Autism

  • High functioning autistic individuals and healthy controls (13 years old) were compared.
  • Four conditions were used (watching visual noise, bouncing ball video, moving hand video, moving own hand), all related to the motor cortex.
  • Controls showed mu wave suppression in conditions c) and d)
  • Children with autism showed mu wave suppression only in condition d)
  • Conclusion: Individuals with autism do not mirror hand movements.
  • Mirror neurons, active in mouth opening muscles, were studied using MEG.

Atypical Social Modulation of Imitation in Autism

  • Participants were asked to either place a piece of paper or food on their shoulder/mouth
  • Typically developing children showed increased mouth muscle activity when watching another person reach for food.
  • This response was not seen in children with autism.
  • High functioning children with autism (age 12 years old), and typically developing children were tested.
  • Children with autism had reduced activation of mirror neuron system compared to their controls.
  • Participants asked to imitate different emotional expressions.
  • The more severe autism, the less the mirror neuron system was activated.

Reduced activity in frontal mirror system during emotion imitation in children with autism.

• Theory suggests mirror neurons play a role in imitation and action understanding. • Imitation is impaired in autism, and this could possibly be due to a broken mirror system.

Other points

  • Clinical observations suggest possible increased imitation in some aspects of autism.
  • Echolalia and echopraxia are involuntary speech and action repetitions.
  • Autistic individuals may show difficulties in inhibiting imitation of an action.

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