Mirroring ‘meaningful’ actions: Sensorimotor learning modulates imitation of goal-directed actions

Abstract

Imitation is important in the development of social and technological skills throughout the lifespan. Experiments investigating the acquisition and modulation of imitation (and of its proposed neural substrate, the mirror neuron system) have produced evidence that the capacity for imitation depends on associative learning in which connections are formed between sensory and motor representations of actions. However, evidence that the development of imitation depends on associative learning has been found only for non-goal-directed actions. One reason for the lack of research on goaldirected actions is that imitation of such actions is commonly confounded with the tendency to respond in a spatially compatible manner. However, since the most prominent account of mirror neuron function, and hence of imitation, suggests that these cells encode goal-directed actions, it is important to establish whether sensorimotor learning can also modulate imitation of goal-directed actions. Experiment 1 demonstrated that imitation of goal-directed grasping can be measured while controlling for spatial compatibility, and Experiment 2 showed that this imitation effect can be modulated by sensorimotor training. Together, these data support the hypothesis that the capacity for behavioural imitation and the properties of the mirror neuron system are constructed in the course of development through associative learning.

Interdisciplinary Review on 6 Concepts Relevant to Non-Perceptual Social Interaction

“…The authors believe that unconscious social interaction and unconscious thinking are related, taking together the above-mentioned findings and assumptions from other concepts of the review (from chapters 1-3), and due to the opinion that 'implicit memory is present from early on', as well as another one that the capacity for behavioral imitation, and the properties of the mirror neuron system, are constructed in the course of development through associative learning [18,20]. Putting all these arguments together, it can also be assumed that people in society are unconsciously connected all their lives and such cooperation affects cognition, and the unconscious domain of thinking participates in this unconscious social exchange.…”

Mirror and (absence of) counter-mirror responses to action sounds measured with TMS

“…On the other, if the goal-directed counter-mirror training is capable of reversing mirror responses, then we expected to replicate the results of previous associative work (e.g. Catmur et al , 2007 ; Catmur and Heyes, 2017 ) by recording an opposite pattern of MEP after the counter-mirror trainings. If that were the case, we wanted to test whether the plastic changes of the mirror mechanism could be replicated over time and with a different (reduced) number of trials.…”

“… Catmur et al , 2007 ). Thus the two methods are completely different [but see the results recently obtained by Catmur and Heyes (2017) indicating that sensorimotor learning may also modulate imitation of goal-directed actions].…”

Trazando puentes entre las neurociencias y la educación. Aportes, límites y caminos futuros en el campo educativo

“…Más allá del debate sobre su aparición, hay consenso en que este tipo de neuronas fomentan el aprendizaje de tipo procedural, observacional, imitativo y asociativo (Barrios-Tao, 2016;Catmur & Heyes, 2017;Hickok, 2014). En una investigación llevada a cabo por Ertelt, Small, Solodkin, Dettmers, McNamara, Binkofski & Buccino (2007), en pacientes con déficit motor se utilizó entrenamiento físico junto a videos que mostraban diferentes movimientos de acciones cotidianas, hallándose mejorías del grupo que recibió la videoterapia en relación a la línea de base del tratamiento y a un grupo control.…”

“…También, las neurociencias han aportado el concepto de neuronas espejo, que permite comprender la génesis de los procesos de imitación e interacción, y el fundamento neurológico del aprendizaje observacional, procedural, imitativo y asociativo (Barrios-Tao, 2016;Catmur & Heyes, 2017;Hickok, 2014).…”