2012•Oxford University Press eBooksRequires access
Mirror Neurons and Mirror Systems
Michael A. Arbib
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Abstract
This chapter provides an introduction to mirror neurons and mirror systems. It discusses modeling how mirror neurons learn and function; mirror systems in the human; and the adaptive value of mirror neuron activity. It shows that mirror neurons may play a crucial role both in self-action and in understanding the action of others. However, mirror neurons do not provide understanding in and of themselves but only as part of a larger system “beyond the mirror.” They enrich that understanding by connecting it with the motor system, going beyond mere perceptual classification, providing means to short circuit analysis of the action of others in cases where they can be integrated into the subject's own motor experience.