Mirroring, Empathy, and Group Processes A Perspective from Neuroscience

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

2. Historical perspective Imitation and Simulation We have a natural tendency to imitatethe 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 ofthe conscious will” • Darwin, 1872, The expression of the emotions in man and animals

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

5. Mirror NeuronsObservation and Execution of Action Prof Rizzolatti University of Parma, Italy • Mirror Neurons firewhen a monkey performs an action, and when it observes the same action being performed • “Mirrors” the state of the otherin the monkey’s own brain Gallese et al, Brain, 1996

6. Mirror MechanismsUnderstanding 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 MotorSystem VisualSystem Observed Action

7. 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.

8. Neural Empathy – Pain • Affective / Emotional Areas • The “unpleasantness” of pain • active during BOTH actual painand observed pain • Sensory Areas : Sensation of Pain • NOT active during observed pain Singer et al, Science, 2004

9. Empathy and Group Association • 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

10. “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

11. “In-Group” versus “Out-Group” Empathy • Replicated many times • Greater mirroring for • Fair versus unfair players • “Minimal” groups Singeret al, Nature, 2006 Molenberghset al, Human Brain Mapping, 2013

12. Multi-Person Social Neuroscience • Very recent research field • Practical problems for brain imaging • Can measure synchronyor 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

13. Between-Person Synchrony – Connectivity • Methods used for computing Brain Connectivity can be used to assess inter-person connectivity and group processes Graph Theory