Mirroring, Empathy, and Group Processes A Perspective from Neuroscience Associate Professor Ross Cunnington Queensland Brain Institute and School of Psychology University of Queensland

Historical perspective Imitation and Simulation We have a natural tendency to imitate the 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

Simulation Theory Understanding others through simulation We understand others’ mental and emotional states and intentions by simulating their state in our own mind. Simulation and Theory Theory Goldman 2006. Simulating Minds

Mirror Neurons Observation and Execution of Action Prof Rizzolatti University of Parma, Italy 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

Mirror Mechanisms Understanding others by simulation or “mirroring” 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 Plans for Action Motor System Visual System Observed Action

Empathy in the Brain Prof Tania Singer Max Planck Institute, Leipzig When we observe emotions of others, some of their brain state is mirrored or simulated in our own brain.

Neural Empathy – Pain Affective / Emotional Areas The “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

Empathy and 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

“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 Hein et al, Neuron, 2010

“In-Group” versus “Out-Group” Empathy Replicated many times Greater mirroring for Fair versus unfair players “Minimal” groups Singer et al, Nature, 2006 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