Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-r6qrq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T15:30:44.600Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

More than associations: An ideomotor perspective on mirror neurons

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 April 2014

Marcel Brass
Affiliation:
Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. marcel.brass@ugent.bepaulsimon.muhlekarbe@ugent.behttp://users.ugent.be/~mbrass/Web-Site/Dr._Marcel_Brass.html
Paul S. Muhle-Karbe
Affiliation:
Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. marcel.brass@ugent.bepaulsimon.muhlekarbe@ugent.behttp://users.ugent.be/~mbrass/Web-Site/Dr._Marcel_Brass.html

Abstract

In this commentary, we propose an extension of the associative approach of mirror neurons, namely, ideomotor theory. Ideomotor theory assumes that actions are controlled by anticipatory representations of their sensory consequences. As we outline below, this extension is necessary to clarify a number of empirical observations that are difficult to explain from a purely associative perspective.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Brass, M., Bekkering, H. & Prinz, W. (2001) Movement observation affects movement execution in a simple response task. Acta Psychologica (Amsterdam) 106(1–2):322.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brass, M., Derrfuss, J. & von Cramon, D. Y. (2005) The inhibition of imitative and overlearned responses: A functional double dissociation. Neuropsychologia 43(1):8998.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brass, M., Derrfuss, J., Matthes-von Cramon, G. & von Cramon, D. Y. (2003) Imitative response tendencies in patients with frontal brain lesions. Neuropsychology 17(2):265–71.Google Scholar
Catmur, C., Walsh, V. & Heyes, C. M. (2007) Sensorimotor learning configures the human mirror system. Current Biology 17(17):1527–31.Google Scholar
Greenwald, A. G. (1970) Sensory feedback mechanisms in performance control: With special reference to the ideo-motor mechanism. Psychological Review 77(2):7399.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grèzes, J. & Decety, J. (2001) Functional anatomy of execution, mental simulation, observation, and verb generation of actions: A meta-analysis. Human Brain Mapping 12(1):119.Google Scholar
James, W. (1890) The principles of psychology, vol. 2. MacMillan.Google Scholar
Kunde, W. (2001) Response-effect compatibility in manual choice reaction tasks. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance 27(2):387–94.Google Scholar
Liepelt, R., von Cramon, D. Y. & Brass, M. (2008b) What is matched in direct matching? Intention attribution modulates motor priming. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance 34(3):578–91.Google Scholar