fMRI Adaptation & Lingnau et al (2009)

1. Understanding fMRI adaptation
   1. In a sentence or two, describe the rational behind fMRI adaptation.
   2. In a sentence or two, why does Kanwisher emphasize that it is important to show images of “Bush” followed by “Chimp” in addition to “Chimp” followed by “Bush”?

2. Why did Lingnau et al (2009) choose to use fMRI adaptation?

3. Lingnau et al (2009) had participants both observer and execute novel actions in the fMRI scanner.
   1. In which areas do they find adaptation for repeated observation of the same actions?
      • left intraparietal sulcus
      • left superior parietal lobule
      • right superior parietal lobule
      • right ventral premotor cortex
      • left dorsal premotor cortex
      • left lateral occipital cortex
      • right lateral occipital cortex
      • not present in any region
   2. In which areas do they find adaptation for repeated executation of the same actions?
      • left intraparietal sulcus
      • left superior parietal lobule
      • right superior parietal lobule
      • right ventral premotor cortex
      • left dorsal premotor cortex
      • left lateral occipital cortex
      • right lateral occipital cortex
      • not present in any region
   3. In which areas do they find adaptation for observed followed by executed actions?
      • left intraparietal sulcus
      • left superior parietal lobule
      • right superior parietal lobule
      • right ventral premotor cortex
      • left dorsal premotor cortex
      • left lateral occipital cortex
      • right lateral occipital cortex
      • not present in any region
   4. In which areas do they find adaptation for executed followed by observed actions?
      • left intraparietal sulcus
      • left superior parietal lobule
      • right superior parietal lobule
      • right ventral premotor cortex
      • left dorsal premotor cortex
      • left lateral occipital cortex
      • right lateral occipital cortex
      • not present in any region
   5. In a sentence or two, why do they take this pattern of results to be evidence against the direct matching hypothesis?

4. Lingnau et al (2009) uses the term “mind reading.” They do not mean it in a paranormal sense. In a sentence, what do you think that they might mean?

5. Taylor (2016) briefly summarizes the history of mirror neuron research and its standing in the field as of 2016. Since that time, research of the mirror neuron system has only continued to decrease, and few researchers think that they play a significant role in understanding the actions of others much less higher level functions like empathy and mind reading.
   1. Had you heard of mirror neurons before this class?
      • Yes
      • No
   2. Go to Google and search “mirror neurons.” Filter to “News” and results within the past year. In a sentence or two, describe one of the articles that comes up?
   3. Why do think that this theory that has been largely rejected by cognitive neuroscientists has remained so pervasive in popular psychology?
6. Do you have any questions that you want to discuss in class?