"Partly from our mirror neurons. These neurons were discovered in 1992 by Giacomo Rizzolatti and colleagues during a series of experiments on macaque monkeys. They noticed a firing of neurons in the premotor cortex when the monkeys observed another monkey grasping food. In monkeys, mirror neurons were also found in areas that integrate sensory input with motor planning. There was the possibility that monkeys could learn an activity by observing another monkey. This was a huge discovery at the time."
"Since then, studies have shown that humans have a mirroring system in similar regions. By 2023, mirror neurons had been located in four regions. The premotor cortex, linking it to movement, the inferior frontal gyrus, known for social and affective behaviors, the parietal lobe, linking them to visual input, and the superior temporal sulcus, which has to do with auditory processing."
Mirror neurons fire in specific brain regions when individuals observe others performing actions, enabling imitation, learning, and empathy. The neurons were first discovered in 1992 in macaque monkeys, where premotor cortex activity occurred as monkeys observed peers grasping food. In monkeys, mirror neurons appeared in areas integrating sensory input with motor planning, suggesting learning by observation. Human mirroring systems exist in homologous regions: the premotor cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, parietal lobe, and superior temporal sulcus. These regions link movement, social and affective behavior, visual input, and auditory processing. Observing others eating can unconsciously trigger personal eating urges, and food marketing may exploit this mirroring effect.
Read at Psychology Today
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