Imitating others' actions: transcranial magnetic stimulation of the parietal opercula reveals the processes underlying automatic imitation
Abstract
The human tendency to imitate gestures performed by conspecifics is automatic in nature. However, whether this automatic imitation can be considered as a true imitative phenomenon or only as a special instance of spatial compatibility is still being debated. New evidence suggests that automatic imitation, otherwise known as ‘imitative compatibility’, shall be considered as a phenomenon that operates independently from spatial compatibility. So far there are only a few investigations directly aimed at identifying the neural structures dedicated to this process. In the present study, we applied double‐pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the parietal opercula to further investigate the role of these regions in coding imitative compatibility. We found that a temporary disruption of parietal opercula caused the reduction of the imitative compatibility relative to the sham condition. In particular, the TMS interference with the parietal opercula's activity modulated the imitative compatibility but not the spatial compatibility, suggesting that these two processes are likely to be independent.
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TMS studies have demonstrated that stimulation of classical mirror areas can disrupt both intentional and automatic imitation of simple finger and hand actions.
“TMS studies have demonstrated that stimulation of classical mirror areas can disrupt both intentional and automatic imitation of simple finger and hand actions”
From Mirror neurons: from origin to function (2014) · cites this paper as Mengotti, Ticini, Waszak, Schutz-Bosbach, & Rumiati, 2012
Cites
Perception and Action Planning
Prinz, W. (1997) · European Journal of Cognitive Psychology · doi:10.1080/713752551 · Cited by 2,013 · see citing works
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Heyes, C. (2011) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/a0022288 · Cited by 550 · see citing works
Automatic imitation of intransitive actions
Press, C., Bird, G., Walsh, E., & Heyes, C. (2008) · Brain and Cognition · doi:10.1016/j.bandc.2007.11.001 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
Boyer, T. W., Longo, M. R., & Bertenthal, B. I. (2012) · Acta Psychologica · doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2012.01.003 · Cited by 64 · cited 5× · see citing works
“Boyer et al. (2012) observed the inversion of the effect for the spatial compatibility, but not for the imitative compatibility.”
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Mirror neurons: from origin to function
Cook, R., Bird, G., Catmur, C., Press, C., & Heyes, C. (2014) · Behavioral and Brain Sciences · doi:10.1017/s0140525x13000903 · Cited by 632 · see citing works
- Authors
- Mengotti, P., Ticini, L. F., Waszak, F., Schütz‐Bosbach, S., & Rumiati, R. I.
- Affiliations
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (IT)
- Max Planck Society (DE)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Corresponding author
- Mengotti, Paola
- Venue
- European Journal of Neuroscience
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2012-10-29
- Volume
- 37
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 316-322
- ISSN
- 0953-816X (ISSN-L)
- 1460-9568
- OpenAlex
- W2001058498
- Cited by
- 21
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 1 · 2018: 4 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 3.58
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- European Journal of Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- HAL (submittedVersion)
- SDL (submittedVersion)
- Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (submittedVersion)
- MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-08-FRAL-0013)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Action Observation and Synchronization
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Motor Control and Adaptation
- Keywords
- automatic imitation, transcranial magnetic stimulation, spatial compatibility, gesture imitation
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Automatism, Cerebral Cortex, Female, Humans, Imitative Behavior, Male, Reaction Time, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
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