Mirror Neurons, Morality and Video games

[foal]

"Mirror neurons" are used to support simulation theory. That is, we make sense of the behavior and feelings of others... or "attribute mental qualities to others"... by simulating their experiences or at least attempting to in our own brain. This is in contrast to I think what is called the "theory theory" model which is that we have a theory of the mind of others that operates based on predictive power. I.e. if we attribute mental qualities to them, we can predict their behavior better.
It is a topic of debate, which model is better or more true. Personally I think they are not mutuality exclusive and that there is truth to both.

[luckyme]

[ QUOTE ]
"Mirror neurons" are used to support simulation theory. That is, we make sense of the behavior and feelings of others... or "attribute mental qualities to others"... by simulating their experiences or at least attempting to in our own brain. This is in contrast to I think what is called the "theory theory" model which is that we have a theory of the mind of others that operates based on predictive power. I.e. if we attribute mental qualities to them, we can predict their behavior better.
It is a topic of debate, which model is better or more true. Personally I think they are not mutuality exclusive and that there is truth to both.

[/ QUOTE ]

This finding seems to take the 'mirror neuron' into the empirical setting. The 'theory of mind' perspective may well apply a layer above what we actually experience at the neuron level.
Iow, the question now would be - how do mirror neurons ( the fact) fit into the theory of mind that we may have?

Is it possible conditions that cause us to lack empathy ( or theory of mind perhaps) can be treated with repair to specific brain areas/neurons? Some forms of Autism? sociopaths. mean teachers.

luckyme

[foal]

mirror neurons are not really proven. at least not in humans. they are in monkeys, but they still are not understood that well.

[ QUOTE ]
Is it possible conditions that cause us to lack empathy ( or theory of mind perhaps) can be treated with repair to specific brain areas/neurons? Some forms of Autism? sociopaths. mean teachers.

[/ QUOTE ]
It would seem to make sense if autism was related to a mirror neuron problem. Interesting, but we can only speculate.

[luckyme]

[ QUOTE ]
mirror neurons are not really proven. at least not in humans. they are in monkeys, but they still are not understood that well.


[/ QUOTE ]

It seems from the New Scientist portion that some have been individually identified in humans now ..

[ QUOTE ]
First discovered in macaque monkeys 11 years ago, this new class of cells generated a booming field of research. Yet until now, evidence for human mirror neurons could only be inferred from functional MRI studies, which measure general patterns of brain activity, and presumed similarities between humans and other primates.

Marco Iacoboni of the Ahmanson Lovelace Brain Mapping Center at the University of California, Los Angeles, described his team's observations of mirror neurons last week at the annual Society for Neuroscience conference in San Diego, California. His team recorded the actions of 286 individual neurons in ...

[/ QUOTE ]

it's a fresh discovery, which was why I'm asking for some up-to-date links that deal with the implications so I can follow the developments better.

luckyme

[foal]

my bad. it wouldn't let me read the article, because I'm not a member, but yeah individual mirror neurons being found in humans is interesting. all I can contribute is philosophical background unfortunately.

[luckyme]

[ QUOTE ]
my bad. it wouldn't let me read the article, because I'm not a member, but yeah individual mirror neurons being found in humans is interesting. all I can contribute is philosophical background unfortunately.

[/ QUOTE ]

One philosophical area they touch directly is the me/they boundary. Some Eastern philosophies tend to take that approach and some meditation is aimed at dissolving/overriding our ability to differentiate.
We do not think we ARE the person/object we are watching because there is some suppression module/cells at work that keep their actions from becoming our actions. If that can be unplugged, then 'we are what we see'?
The traditional "one-with-the-universe" experience is a version of this.

luckyme