Thesis (M.S.)--Western Washington University, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 27-34). Also issued online.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file (viewed June 1, 2007). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

<p>The introduction of high density EEG (hd-EEG) nets for easy application on subjects of all ages has improved the possibilities to investigate the development of the infant neurophysiology. This dissertation consists of three studies (I – III) that investigate the visual motion system and mirror neuron system of the infant, and methodological sections that outline the bioelectrical background and the characteristics of the methods used. </p><p>Study I covers the maturation of cortical areas involved in motion perception in adults and infants using an ERP paradigm. Over three age groups (2, 3 and 5 month olds) the cortical activation increased dramatically. All infant groups showed significant activation when moving displays was contrasted to static displays on a video screen. The study shows that 5-month-old infants and older can be expected to process motion in a similar fashion as adults.</p><p>Study II covers the infant mirror neuron system (MNS). In adults the mu rhythm perturbations is considered a reliable measure of activation of the MNS. This study presented both a mu rhythm analysis and a ERP analysis to detect MNS activity in 6-month-olds and in adults. This study concludes that the infant MNS can be measured using ERPs and that the development of mu rhythm perturbations requires further study.</p><p>Study III focused on exploring the mu rhythm suppressions. 8-month-olds observed a live actor that performed goal directed reaches and non-goal directed hand movements. The results show robust mu rhythm perturbations time-locked to the grasping moment. The study concluded that the MNS activity is possible to evaluate by analysis of mu rhythm perturbations and that the MNS show mature characteristics at the age of 8 months.</p><p>In summary, Study 2 and 3 present new methods to investigate the infant mirror neuron system and shows that the infant MNS is active at 6 months of age. At 8 months of age the infant MNS show mature EEG responses to simple actions such as reaching. How the MNS development relates to the infants’ motor development, and how the MNS interacts with the development of social skills requires further studies that could benefit from the methods presented here.</p>

Neurônios espelho são ativados tanto durante a execução de uma ação como durante a observação desta mesma ação desempenhada por outra pessoa. Como parecem integrar observação e ação, os neurônios espelho têm sido foco de estudos sobre como o ser humano entende o próximo e em que extensão é capaz de compartilhar experiências. Esta integração inclui uma \"representação interna\" que envolve as mesmas estruturas nervosas envolvidas na execução da ação observada e tem sido sugerida como parte fundamental da facilitação do aprendizado por imitação. Este trabalho teve como objetivo, além de investigar o papel do sistema de neurônios-espelho no comportamento imitativo, investigar como ações motoras desconhecidas passam a ser reconhecidas e incorporadas ao repertório motor no contexto atual de neurônios espelho. Para isso, 20 voluntários foram treinados a executar acordes musicais em tarefas envolvendo imitação. Nossos resultados mostram que o sistema de neurônios-espelho possui um crítico papel durante a observação de uma ação com o intuito de imitá-la. Além disso, a ativação do sistema de neurônios-espelho pode ser alterada dependendo do contexto em que a ação está inserida / Mirror neurons are activated both during action execution and during observation of this same action performed by another person. As they seem to integrate observation and action, mirror neurons have been the focus of studies on how humans understand the other and to what extent is able to share experiences. This integration includes an \"internal representation\" that involves the same neural structures involved in the execution of an observed action and has been suggested as a fundamental part of the facilitation of learning by imitation. This study aimed, besides investigating the role of the mirror neuron system in imitative behavior, investigating how unknown motor actions are recognized and incorporated into the repertoire after practice in the current context of motor mirror neurons. For this, 20 volunteers were trained to perform tasks involving musical chords in imitation context. Our results show that the mirror neuron system has a critical role during the observation of an action in order to imitate it. Moreover, activation of mirror neuron system may be altered depending on the context in which the action is inserted

My dissertation explores the role of narrative in the cultivation of empathy for ethical attitudes and behaviors. I begin by exploring an uncommon view of human nature, concluding that we are not autonomously individualistic rational deciders but ultrasocial moral intuitionists. Our intuitions are developed through our social engagements and the moral imagination. Intersubjective relations run deep in our psychology and provide the basis by which we shape the meaning of our lives as individuals in communities. It is because of this that we need to reconsider and redesign our moral cultivation programs both for the child-rearing years and throughout adult life. I look at empathy, the means of our mutual understanding, care, and help, as a key site for moral cultivation. I explicate the neurophysiological bases of empathy, both conscious and unconscious. Empathy is on the continuum with very primitive, automatic mirroring systems, which through varying levels of mimicry facilitate social cognition and moral insight and action. It is thus the ideal means of cultivating a skillful morality. Empathy enables us to enter the worlds and feelings of others in rich and full-bodied ways and so can reveal others in their full subjectivity. Such experiences can incite empathic regard and compassionate action, but empathy, like all of our psycho-social capacities, requires cultivation to develop its skillfulness in practice. Narrative is an obvious means of cultivating empathy because it is humanity’s primary meaning-making structure, utilizing the empathic imagination to seduce us into the inner worlds of others. Through narrative dramatizations of experience, we learn to see and feel from another’s point of view, sensitizing us to their inner states and outward behavior. Such sensitivity can facilitate improving our moral attitudes and action by dislodging preoccupation with self-concern and instigating higher regard for others. In narratives we can imaginatively practice various moral actions, witnessing possible results. Reflective engagement can then bring the moral insights of these imaginative experiences to life in our practical worlds by attuning us to what is morally salient. Narrative engagement is thus a natural and vital part of shaping empathic moral perception for compassionate action. By reading and feeling with others reflectively, we can expand empathy for the pluralistic communities in which we live, make meaning, and grow.

The introduction of high density EEG (hd-EEG) nets for easy application on subjects of all ages has improved the possibilities to investigate the development of the infant neurophysiology. This dissertation consists of three studies (I – III) that investigate the visual motion system and mirror neuron system of the infant, and methodological sections that outline the bioelectrical background and the characteristics of the methods used. Study I covers the maturation of cortical areas involved in motion perception in adults and infants using an ERP paradigm. Over three age groups (2, 3 and 5 month olds) the cortical activation increased dramatically. All infant groups showed significant activation when moving displays was contrasted to static displays on a video screen. The study shows that 5-month-old infants and older can be expected to process motion in a similar fashion as adults. Study II covers the infant mirror neuron system (MNS). In adults the mu rhythm perturbations is considered a reliable measure of activation of the MNS. This study presented both a mu rhythm analysis and a ERP analysis to detect MNS activity in 6-month-olds and in adults. This study concludes that the infant MNS can be measured using ERPs and that the development of mu rhythm perturbations requires further study. Study III focused on exploring the mu rhythm suppressions. 8-month-olds observed a live actor that performed goal directed reaches and non-goal directed hand movements. The results show robust mu rhythm perturbations time-locked to the grasping moment. The study concluded that the MNS activity is possible to evaluate by analysis of mu rhythm perturbations and that the MNS show mature characteristics at the age of 8 months. In summary, Study 2 and 3 present new methods to investigate the infant mirror neuron system and shows that the infant MNS is active at 6 months of age. At 8 months of age the infant MNS show mature EEG responses to simple actions such as reaching. How the MNS development relates to the infants’ motor development, and how the MNS interacts with the development of social skills requires further studies that could benefit from the methods presented here.

Empathy varies with similarity and familiarity of the other. Since outgroups are seen as dissimilar to the self, empathy might be restricted to the ingroup. We looked at two neural correlates of empathy: mirror neuron system activation as indicated by electroencephalographic mu suppression and prefrontal alpha asymmetry. Non black participants watched videos of ingroup and outgroup members acting and expressing emotions, and then acted and experienced emotions themselves. Due to methodological problems, mirror neuron system activation was not obtained. However, anterior asymmetries indicated avoidance motivation during the experience of sadness and the mere observation of sad ingroup members while participants did not show anterior asymmetry when observing the black outgroup. These findings suggest that empathy is bounded to a closed circle of similar others.

Empathy varies with similarity and familiarity of the other. Since outgroups are seen as dissimilar to the self, empathy might be restricted to the ingroup. We looked at two neural correlates of empathy: mirror neuron system activation as indicated by electroencephalographic mu suppression and prefrontal alpha asymmetry. Non black participants watched videos of ingroup and outgroup members acting and expressing emotions, and then acted and experienced emotions themselves. Due to methodological problems, mirror neuron system activation was not obtained. However, anterior asymmetries indicated avoidance motivation during the experience of sadness and the mere observation of sad ingroup members while participants did not show anterior asymmetry when observing the black outgroup. These findings suggest that empathy is bounded to a closed circle of similar others.

Thesis (B.A.)--Haverford College, Dept. of Psychology, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references.

This thesis investigates two source memory errors: observation inflation, where observed actions are misremembered as being performed; and self-action inflation in which self-performed actions are misremembered as having been performed by somebody else. It has been proposed that these inflations occur because of overlapping brain activity during observation and performance. This has been attributed to mirror neurone activity. To test this, observation and self-action inflations are investigated for different types of actions (meaningful, meaningless and communicative) known to evoke different mirror neurone activity. Different age groups (young adult, and elderly) were studied as were the effects of relative ethnicity between observer and performer. The Remember-Know-Guess paradigm was used. This showed that people make inflations with high qualitative details and confidence. As anticipated, elderly participants made significantly more observation inflations than young adults. Across both age groups, significantly more inflations occurred for communicative and meaningful actions than for meaningless actions supporting the idea that mirror neurones may be involved in formation of inflations. However when the effects of relative ethnicity were included in the paradigm it was found that significantly more observation inflations were formed after observing different ethnicity actors. It has been hypothesised that if mirror neurone involvement is involved in observation inflations then the highest number of inflations are expected for the same ethnicity condition because of the overlap between participant and performer. This thesis therefore suggests a less simplistic explanation of the underlying mechanisms responsible for these types of memory error.