Cited by 630Action Observation and SynchronizationAutism Spectrum Disorder ResearchChild and Animal Learning Development

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The simulating social mind: The role of the mirror neuron system and simulation in the social and communicative deficits of autism spectrum disorders

Oberman, Lindsay M., Ramachandran, Vilayanur S.·2007·Psychological Bulletin

DOI 10.1037/0033-2909.133.2.310

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Abstract

The mechanism by which humans perceive others differs greatly from how humans perceive inanimate objects. Unlike inanimate objects, humans have the distinct property of being "like me" in the eyes of the observer. This allows us to use the same systems that process knowledge about self-performed actions, self-conceived thoughts, and self-experienced emotions to understand actions, thoughts, and emotions in others. The authors propose that internal simulation mechanisms, such as the mirror neuron system, are necessary for normal development of recognition, imitation, theory of mind, empathy, and language. Additionally, the authors suggest that dysfunctional simulation mechanisms may underlie the social and communicative deficits seen in individuals with autism spectrum disorders.

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“…of the disorder, the Broken Mirror Theory suggests that cortical abnormalities within the fronto-parietal action observation network—also known as the so-called “mirror system”—may contribute to the socio-communicative difficulties in ASD (Iacoboni & Dapretto, 2006; Oberman & Ramachandran, 2007).”
Background
The influence of intrapersonal sensorimotor experiences on the corticospinal responses during action–observation
Roberts, J. W., Constable, M., Burgess, R., Lyons, J. L., & Welsh, T. N. (2017) · Social Neuroscience · doi:10.1080/17470919.2017.1289979 · Cited by 5
“As a consequence of this coupling, it is suggested that the observation of another person’s action maps onto and activates a corresponding motor representation within the observer (Hommel, Müsseler, Aschersleben, Prinz, 2001; Oberman & Ramachandran, 2007; Prinz, 1997; Rizzolatti & Sinigaglia, 2010).”
Les paradoxes de l’autisme : limites des modèles et théories, perspectives de recherche
Georgieff, N. (2017) · Perspectives Psy · doi:10.1051/ppsy/2017564308 · Cited by 5
The relationship between pantomime execution and recognition across typically developing and autistic children
Fabbri‐Destro, M., Gizzonio, V., Bazzini, M. C., Cevallos, C., Chéron, G., & Avanzini, P. (2019) · Research in Autism · doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2019.01.008 · Cited by 5
On Whether Mirror Neurons Play a Significant Role in Processing Affective Prosody
Ramachandra, V. (2009) · Perceptual and Motor Skills · doi:10.2466/pms.108.1.30-36 · Cited by 5
Father to Son: The Mediation of Family Firm Succession Conflict
Berkel, H.-G. (2008) · Cited by 5
Facial Expressions and Emotional Singing: A Study of Perception and Production with Motion Capture and Electromyography
Russo, F., Livingstone, S. R., & Thompson, W. F. (2021) · doi:10.32920/14639103 · Cited by 6
Observational learning of atypical biological kinematics in autism
Foster, N. C., Bennett, S. J., Pullar, K. F., Causer, J., Becchio, C., Clowes, D. P., & Hayes, S. J. (2023) · Autism Research · doi:10.1002/aur.3002 · Cited by 4
“…2010; Enticott et al., 2013; Fan et al., 2010; Marsh & de Hamilton, 2011; Pokorny et al., 2015; Raymaekers et al., 2009; Sowden et al., 2016) that there is not a global deficit (cf. Oberman & Ramachandran, 2007; Williams et al., 2001, 2004) of the action-observa-tion network processing in autism.”
Background
Behavioral Characteristics of Children with High Functioning Pervasive Developmental Disorders during a Game
Kawaguchi, H., Murakami, B., & Kawai, M. (2010) · Journal of Epidemiology · doi:10.2188/jea.je20090178 · Cited by 4
“It Takes a Community”
Bolick, T. (2008) · Topics in Language Disorders · doi:10.1097/01.tld.0000341130.39275.fa · Cited by 4
The influence of environmental context in interpersonal observation–execution
Roberts, J. W., Bennett, S. J., Welsh, T. N., Elliott, D., Lyons, J. L., & Hayes, S. J. (2016) · Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology · doi:10.1080/17470218.2015.1127982 · Cited by 4
“…involving bottom-up sensorimotor processes (Rizzolatti, Fogassi, & Gallese, 2001) and may enable the observer to understand people’s action intentions through the simulation of observed goal-directed behaviour (Becchio, Manera, Sartori, Cavallo, & Castiello, 2012; Oberman & Ramachandran, 2007).”
Background
The paradoxical self
Ramachandran, V. S., & Hirstein, W. (2011) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511978098.007 · Cited by 4
Self-citation
Teaching Gross Motor Imitation Skills to Children Diagnosed with AutismPreprint
Bololoi, D. D., & Rizeanu, S. (2017) · SSRN Electronic Journal · Cited by 4
Toward Experimental Approaches to Advance Discovery of Clinically Meaningful Sensory–Motor Biomarkers
Lidstone, D. E., Mostofsky, S. H., & Ewen, J. B. (2026) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.31234/osf.io/hxd67 · Cited by 3
Aperiodic activity masks sensorimotor mu suppression during human action observation
Harris, A. M., Denaro, C. M., & Reed, C. L. (2025) · Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience · doi:10.1093/scan/nsaf059 · Cited by 4
Maternal Variability of Amplitudes of Frequency Fluctuations Is Related to the Progressive Self–Other Transposition Group Intervention in Autistic Children
Zhang, J., Guo, X., Zhang, W., Liu, D., Chen, P., Zhang, Y., & Ru, X. (2023) · Brain Sciences · doi:10.3390/brainsci13050774 · Cited by 3
Rethinking empathy: professional work with persons with PIMD
Hanisch, H. M., & Skarsaune, S. N. (2024) · Medical Humanities · doi:10.1136/medhum-2023-012783 · Cited by 3
Cognição social na esquizofrenia: um enfoque em habilidades teoria da mente
Tonelli, H. A., & Alvarez, C. E. (2009) · Revista de Psiquiatria do Rio Grande do Sul · doi:10.1590/s0101-81082009000400005 · Cited by 3
Social Eavesdropping: Can You Hear the Emotionality in a “Hello” That Is Not Meant for You?
Karthikeyan, S., & Ramachandra, V. (2017) · i-Perception · doi:10.1177/2041669517695816 · Cited by 3
“Empathic capacity, which involves the ability to internally simulate the perceived emotion (Oberman & Ramachandran, 2007), may influence the ability to identify an appropriately mimicked Hello in the SN listening test.”
Background
The role of mirror neurons in cognitive and social functioning*
Fabiańska, M., Bosiacki, M., & Simińska, D. (2020) · Pomeranian Journal of Life Sciences · doi:10.21164/pomjlifesci.726 · Cited by 3
Another Kind of Normal
Ward, G. (2022) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780192843012.001.0001 · Cited by 3
Self-monitoring hinders the ability to read affective facial expressions
Liu, M., Dudarev, V., Kai, J. W., Brar, N., & Enns, J. T. (2023) · Visual Cognition · doi:10.1080/13506285.2024.2315788 · Cited by 3
“The internal simulation account proposes that people identify others ’ facial expressions by recreating the perceived expressions in themselves (Goldman & Sripada, 2004; Oberman & Ramachandran, 2007; Stel, 2016; Wood et al., 2016).”
Background
Empathetic Skills through Virtual Reality: A New Frontier in Emotional Training
Weng, H., Huang, L.-Y., & Lin, W. (2024) · IEEE Eurasian Conference on Educational Innovation (ECEI) · doi:10.1109/ecei60433.2024.10510873 · Cited by 3
“Reference [12] investigated how VR technology improved emotional learning.”
Background
Speed-accuracy trade-offs in action perception, motor imagery, and execution of hand movements in autistic and non-autistic adults
Bai, Y., Brillinger, M., Karlinsky, A. D., Poliakoff, E., Welsh, T. N., & Gowen, E. (2025) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-025-97036-w · Cited by 3
Neural processing of social reciprocity in autism
Bierlich, A. M., Plank, I. S., Scheel, N. T., Keeser, D., & Falter‐Wagner, C. M. (2025) · NeuroImage Clinical · doi:10.1016/j.nicl.2025.103793 · Cited by 5
“Despite extensive research on social cognition in autism (e.g., Oberman & Ramachandran, 2007; Sato & Uono, 2019; Velikonja et al., 2019), little is known about the neural basis of how social interactions are processed, especially regarding implicit features like reciprocity and interpersonal…”
Finding a home: Developmental and neurobiological perspectives on cultural models
Bonn, G. (2019) · Asian Journal of Social Psychology · doi:10.1111/ajsp.12387 · Cited by 4
Empathy
Thompson, N. M., Luft, C. D. B., & Banissy, M. J. (2016) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-800935-2.00015-4 · Cited by 3
Interaction
Gallagher, S. (2020) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198846345.003.0006 · Cited by 3
Broken Mirror or Unbroken Mirror? : An Investigation for Mirror Neuron Dysfunction of the Autism Spectrum Disorder
Son, J.-W., & Ghim, H.-R. (2013) · Journal of korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry · doi:10.5765/jkacap.2013.24.3.109 · Cited by 3
Five Types of “Couple Object-Relations” Seen in Couple Therapy: Implications for Theory and Practice
Mendelsohn, R. (2014) · The Psychoanalytic Review · doi:10.1521/prev.2014.101.1.95 · Cited by 3
“In this regard, recent findings in neurology (Gray & Beilock, 2011; Oberman & Ramachandran, 2007) support the idea that neural circuits activated in a person carrying out actions, expressing emotions, and experiencing sensations are also activated automatically, via a mirror neuron system, in the…”
Result
Le due facce della mimesi. La teoria mimetica di Girard, la simulazione incarnata e l'identificazione sociale
Gallese, V. (2010) · PSICOBIETTIVO · doi:10.3280/psob2009-002005 · Cited by 4

Authors: Oberman, L. M., & Ramachandran, V. S.
Affiliations: University of California San Diego (US)
ORCID: Oberman, Lindsay M.
Venue: Psychological Bulletin
Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
Published: 2007-03
Volume: 133
Issue: 2
Pages: 310-327
ISSN: 0033-2909 (ISSN-L)
1939-1455
DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.133.2.310
OpenAlex: W2145945667
Semantic Scholar: 666116b9135d9fb9cd3d19c9d594c8b530996226
Cited by: 630
References: 201
Citations by year: 2026: 2 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 35 · 2022: 35 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 70 · 2019: 42 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 30 · 2016: 28 · 2015: 31 · 2014: 40 · 2013: 38 · 2012: 38
FWCI: 64.08
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Locations: Psychological Bulletin (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Action Observation and Synchronization
Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
Keywords: mirror neuron system, simulation theory, autism spectrum disorder, social cognition, theory of mind, empathy, imitation, language development, social communication deficits, self-other perception
MeSH terms: Autistic Disorder, Brain, Child, Cognition Disorders, Communication Disorders, Empathy, Humans, Imitative Behavior, Language Disorders, Nerve Net, Social Behavior, Social Perception, Speech Perception, Verbal Behavior

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The simulating social mind: The role of the mirror neuron system and simulation in the social and communicative deficits of autism spectrum disorders

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