The DOI matches its Crossref record; 248 of the 248 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The Neural Bases of Social Cognition and Story Comprehension
Abstract
A great deal of research exists on the neural basis of theory-of-mind (ToM) or mentalizing. Qualitative reviews on this topic have identified a mentalizing network composed of the medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate/precuneus, and bilateral temporal parietal junction. These conclusions, however, are not based on a quantitative and systematic approach. The current review presents a quantitative meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies pertaining to ToM, using the activation-likelihood estimation (ALE) approach. Separate ALE meta-analyses are presented for story-based and nonstory-based studies of ToM. The conjunction of these two meta-analyses reveals a core mentalizing network that includes areas not typically noted by previous reviews. A third ALE meta-analysis was conducted with respect to story comprehension in order to examine the relation between ToM and stories. Story processing overlapped with many regions of the core mentalizing network, and these shared regions bear some resemblance to a network implicated by a number of other processes.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“Stories are particularly helpful in learning how to navigate the social world (Dodell-Feder & Tamir, 2018; Mar, 2011; Mar & Oatley, 2008; Mar et al., 2006, 2009; Oatley, 1999; Tamir et al., 2015).”
From Stories in Action. (2022) · cites this paper as Mar, 2011
In the citing paper
“The results of the meta-analysis of ToM were consistent with earlier quantitative analyses”
From Parsing the neural correlates of moral cognition: ALE meta-analysis on morality, theory of mind, and empathy (2012) · cites this paper as Mar 2011
Citations
Cites
A default mode of brain function
Raichle, M. E., MacLeod, A. M., Snyder, A. Z., Powers, W. J., Gusnard, D. A., & Shulman, G. L. (2001) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.98.2.676 · Cited by 12,190
Co-Planar Stereotaxic Atlas of the Human Brain
Talairach, J., & Tournoux, P. (1988) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 11,798
Does the chimpanzee have a theory of mind?
Premack, D., & Woodruff, G. (1978) · Behavioral and Brain Sciences · doi:10.1017/s0140525x00076512 · Cited by 8,743
Bruner, J. (1986) · doi:10.4159/9780674029019 · Cited by 8,657
Co-planar stereotaxic atlas of the human brain
Laitinen, L. (1989) · Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery · doi:10.1016/0303-8467(89)90128-5 · Cited by 7,565
Rizzolatti, G., & Craighero, L. (2004) · Annual Review of Neuroscience · doi:10.1146/annurev.neuro.27.070203.144230 · Cited by 7,433
Actual Minds, Possible Worlds.
Mergler, N. L., Schleifer, R., & Bruner, J. S. (1986) · MLN · doi:10.2307/2905728 · Cited by 6,626
The precuneus: a review of its functional anatomy and behavioural correlates
Cavanna, A. E., & Trimble, M. R. (2006) · Brain · doi:10.1093/brain/awl004 · Cited by 5,128
Understanding and sharing intentions: The origins of cultural cognition
Tomasello, M., Carpenter, M., Call, J., Behne, T., & Moll, H. (2005) · Behavioral and Brain Sciences · doi:10.1017/s0140525x05000129 · Cited by 4,882
Universal dimensions of social cognition: warmth and competence
Fiske, S. T., Cuddy, A. J. C., & Glick, P. (2007) · Trends in Cognitive Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.tics.2006.11.005 · Cited by 4,567
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- Friese U, 2009, J. Cogn. Neurosci., 20, 2100
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 801–900 of 945
Hartung, F., Wang, Y., Mak, M., Willems, R. M., & Chatterjee, A. K. (2020) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/tuwmz
Bio, B. J., Guterstam, A., Pinsk, M. A., Wilterson, A. I., & Graziano, M. S. A. (2021) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2021.06.10.447930
Semerari, A., Riccardi, I., & Carcione, A. (2021) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-70455-1_8
Text2Brain: Synthesis of Brain Activation Maps from Free-form Text QueryPreprint
Ngo, G. H., Nguyen, M., Chen, N. F., & Sabuncu, M. R. (2021) · arXiv (Cornell University) · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2109.13814
La ciencia de la ficción: un repaso psicológico de sus efectos prosociales
Pomar, F. L. D. (2021) · Futuro Hoy · doi:10.52749/fh.v2i3.2
Sex Differences in Emotional Processing in Language
Lin, Z. (2021) · International Journal of Language and Linguistics · doi:10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.11
The neural architecture of emotional intelligence.
Stoica, T. (2021) · ThinkIR: The University of Louisville's Institutional Repository (University of Louisville) · doi:10.18297/etd/3623
Listening as a Management Issue
Bedford, D., Chalphin, I., Dietz, K., & Phlypo, K. (2022) · Emerald Group Publishing Limited eBooks · doi:10.1108/978-1-80262-103-720221013
Discernment as a Management Issue
Bedford, D., Chalphin, I., Dietz, K., & Phlypo, K. (2022) · Emerald Group Publishing Limited eBooks · doi:10.1108/978-1-80262-103-720221012
Oatley, K. (2011) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9781119970910.biblio
Gilmore, J. (2020) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190096342.003.0008
Gilmore, J. (2020) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190096342.003.0005
Seattle, B. T. P. (2018) · Journal of Prisoners on Prisons · doi:10.18192/jpp.v27i1.3369
Gilmore, J. (2020) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190096342.003.0001
Gilmore, J. (2020) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190096342.003.0003
IJzerman, H. (2017) · PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/2m4fe
Gilmore, J. (2020) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190096342.003.0009
Miller, S. A. (2022) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197573174.003.0009
Miller, S. A. (2022) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197573174.003.0004
Miller, S. A. (2022) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197573174.003.0001
Understanding of Cognitive States
Miller, S. A. (2022) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197573174.003.0002
Consequences: Cognitive Development
Miller, S. A. (2022) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197573174.003.0006
Miller, S. A. (2022) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197573174.003.0010
Variations of First-Order Paradigms
Miller, S. A. (2022) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197573174.003.0005
Understanding of Affective States
Miller, S. A. (2022) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197573174.003.0003
Miller, S. A. (2022) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197573174.003.0008
Hamamoto, Y., Suzuki, S., Motoki, K., Oba, K., Kawashima, R., & Sugiura, M. (2022) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.4193478
The impact of fiction reading on social outcomes: A four-week randomized controlled studyPreprint
Dodell‐Feder, D., Liu, G., Amormino, P., Handley, E. D., & Tamir, D. (2022) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/e4n9v
Niznikiewicz, M. A. (2022) · Anglica Wratislaviensia · doi:10.19195/0301-7966.60.8
Mapping meaning with comics – Enhancing Maps with visual art and narrative
von Reumont, F. (2021) · transcript Verlag eBooks · doi:10.1515/9783839452417-010
Group Identity Enhances Inter-brain Synchronization in the Hold-Up ProblemPreprint
Hao, S., zhang, C., Xiaoqin, W., & Lu, L. (2023) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.4513752
Vandewal, E. J. M. (2023) · Research Publications (Maastricht University) · doi:10.26481/dis.20230922ev
Homo Sapiens: Beyond Biology to Narratives of MeaningPreprint
Pavlov, A., & Lunov, V. (2023) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.4563366
Hartmann, H., Orlando, E., Borja, K., Keysers, C., & Gazzola, V. (2023) · doi:10.31219/osf.io/wb3cq
(2016) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199642670.002.0004
(2016) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199642670.002.0006
Journal of Prisoners on Prisons, V27 #1
Piché, J., & Walby, K. (2018) · Les Presses de l’Université d’Ottawa | University of Ottawa Press eBooks · doi:10.1515/9780776627618
(2018) · University of Ottawa Press eBooks · doi:10.1515/9780776627618-015
Narrativity and Reading Narratives
Miller, B. (2023) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-40349-1_4
Geomorfologia como cenário fílmico: o caso do Parque de Bardenas Reales - Espanha
Steinke, V. A. (2023) · Physis Terrae - Revista Ibero-Afro-Americana de Geografia Física e Ambiente · doi:10.21814/physisterrae.5573
Discussion: The Psychophysiological Impact of Journalism
Nery, I. (2024) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-51160-8_4
Neurosciences of Communication: A Multidisciplinary Approach
Nery, I. (2024) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-51160-8_1
Understanding the Development of Social Cognition in Childhood
Meghana, S. (2024) · Advances in medical technologies and clinical practice book series · doi:10.4018/979-8-3693-1265-0.ch020
Gilmore, J. (2020) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190096342.002.0005
Gilmore, J. (2020) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190096342.002.0004
Gilmore, J. (2020) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190096342.002.0006
Miller, S. A. (2022) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197573174.002.0006
Miller, S. A. (2022) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197573174.002.0003
Miller, S. A. (2022) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197573174.002.0004
Magnusson, C. G., & Johansen, S. T. (2024) · Acta Didactica Norden · doi:10.5617/adno.10060 · Cited by 2
Effect of similarity between characters and writers on generating characters in narrative
Nishiguchi, M., & Kusumi, T. (2024) · The Japanese journal of psychology · doi:10.4992/jjpsy.95.23015
Borunda, R. M., & Martinez-Alire, C. (2024) · Palgrave studies in race, inequality and social justice in education · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-49562-5_6
Pradeep, A. K., Acharya, A., Chakravarty, R., & Dev, R. (2024) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9781394310371.ref
Ayvacı, H. Ş., Sevım, S., & Bebek, G. (2024) · Bartın University Journal of Faculty of Education · doi:10.14686/buefad.1255375
Schmälzle, R., Lim, S., Jahn, N. T., Wilcox, S., & Ye, Q. (2024) · Asian Communication Research · doi:10.20879/acr.2024.21.024
Yamamoto, H., Sunahara, N., & Kanakogi, Y. (2024) · Infancy · doi:10.1111/infa.12644
Bibliotherapy to prevent bullying. A systematic review
Anaya-Reig, N., Gallego, C. M.-B., Fernández, V. C., & Cisneros, J. T. C. (2024) · IJERI International Journal of Educational Research and Innovation · doi:10.46661/ijeri.8299
Discoursal basis for the typology
(2024) · Linguistic approaches to literature · doi:10.1075/lal.42.c7
(2024) · Linguistic approaches to literature · doi:10.1075/lal.42.c5
(2024) · Linguistic approaches to literature · doi:10.1075/lal.42.refs
(2024) · Linguistic approaches to literature · doi:10.1075/lal.42.index
(2024) · Linguistic approaches to literature · doi:10.1075/lal.42.c8
(2024) · Linguistic approaches to literature · doi:10.1075/lal.42.c9
(2024) · Linguistic approaches to literature · doi:10.1075/lal.42.c10
(2024) · Linguistic approaches to literature · doi:10.1075/lal.42.c1
(2024) · Linguistic approaches to literature · doi:10.1075/lal.42.ack
Appendix 3. Probing the corpus
(2024) · Linguistic approaches to literature · doi:10.1075/lal.42.app3
(2024) · Linguistic approaches to literature · doi:10.1075/lal.42.prelim
Lexical Basis for Numerically Aided Phenomenology (LEX-NAP)
(2024) · Linguistic approaches to literature · doi:10.1075/lal.42.c4
Appendix 2. Discoursal features of the prototypes
(2024) · Linguistic approaches to literature · doi:10.1075/lal.42.app2
(2024) · Linguistic approaches to literature · doi:10.1075/lal.42.ded
A typology of reading experiences
(2024) · Linguistic approaches to literature · doi:10.1075/lal.42.c6
(2024) · Linguistic approaches to literature · doi:10.1075/lal.42.toc
(2024) · Linguistic approaches to literature · doi:10.1075/lal.42.c3
Appendix 1. Degrees of intensity (a sample)
Fialho, O. (2024) · Linguistic approaches to literature · doi:10.1075/lal.42.app1
Modalities of transformative reading
(2024) · Linguistic approaches to literature · doi:10.1075/lal.42.c2
Executive Functioning Processes in Simple and Complex Theory of Mind Tasks
Shamji, J. F. (2022) · University of North Texas Digital Library (University of North Texas) · doi:10.12794/metadc1985747
Barakat, A. M. M., ElAwad, I. H., & Gabr, A. A. (2025) · Applied Neuropsychology Child · doi:10.1080/21622965.2025.2460179
Differential brain activations between Democrats and Republicans when considering food purchases
Bruce, A. S., Crespi, J. M., Hayes, D. J., Lagoudakis, A., Lusk, J. L., Schreiber, D. M., & Wu, Q. (2025) · Politics and the Life Sciences · doi:10.1017/pls.2025.2
Anaya-Reig, N., Fernández, V. C., & Videla, C. G. B. (2025) · Didáctica Lengua y Literatura · doi:10.5209/dill.95902
Narrative Approaches in Psychology and Coaching: Methodology and Theory
Владимирович, К. К. (2025) · doi:10.31483/r-127138
Inner Speech: Narrative Consciousness and the Capacity for Relationships
Johnson, P. E. (2025) · New approaches to the scientific study of religion · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-91242-9_4
Social cognitive function in stroke survivors: A scoping review
Davlasheridze, A., Rafsten, L., Krabbe, D., Badinlou, F., Reniers, R. L. E. P., Quinn, T. J., & Abzhandadze, T. (2025) · Cerebral Circulation - Cognition and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.cccb.2025.100398
Xue, H., Dokienko, F., Gentile, F., & Jansma, B. M. (2025) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2025.10.13.682063
Emotional Content Enhances Neural Tracking of ConversationsPreprint
Heikkinen, P., Lepistö, S., Wikman, P. A., Koskinen, E., Peräkylä, A., Ravaja, N., & Harjunen, V. J. (2025) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2025.11.06.686308
Theory of Mind in Preadolescents: Assessing the Effects of a Conversational Training
Rinaldi, V., Leone, C., Camelio, A., Caputi, M., Cuder, A., Battain, G., & Pellizzoni, S. (2025) · Social Cognition · doi:10.1521/soco.2025.43.6.580
Wang, L., Tan, H. C., Chen, D.-Y., Weng, M.-H., Kuo, Y., Lin, C.-C. A., Shaw, F., & Kung, C. (2025) · Royal Society Open Science · doi:10.1098/rsos.251897
Hartwright, C. E. (2014) · University of Birmingham Institutional Research Archive (University of Birmingham)
Oliver, L. D., Moxon‐Emre, I., Hawco, C. S., Dickie, E. W., Dakli, A., Lyon, R. E., Szatmári, P., Haltigan, J. D., Goldenberg, A., Rashidi, A. G., et al. (2024) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.26974359
Shen, S., Liu, W., Zhou, M., Yang, R., Li, J., & Zhou, D. (2021) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.16680160
Merchant, J. S., Glaros, S., Edakoth, E., Harris, R., Tchangalova, N., & Redcay, E. (2025) · University Libraries (University of Maryland) · doi:10.13016/vjkt-mvyr
Stromberg, P. G. (2026) · doi:10.1093/9780191822285.003.0004
Burgess, A. N., Hughes-Berheim, S. S., & Cutting, L. E. (2026) · Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2026.101707
Giordano, M. (2025) · De Gruyter eBooks · doi:10.1515/9783111434841-009
Cenka, K., Spaccasassi, C., Petkovic, S., Pezzetta, R., Vicario, C. M., Arcara, G., & Avenanti, A. (2026) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121885
Saitovitch, A. (2014) · theses.fr (ABES) · doi:10.70675/ddd5f246z0fe4z4134z8a28z27d0a24aed40
Laillier, R. (2019) · theses.fr (ABES) · doi:10.70675/f3f3322dz8127z47daz997fz61e5af74e307
Metadata
- Authors
- Mar, R. A.
- Affiliations
- York University (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Mar, Raymond A.
- ORCID
- Mar, Raymond A.
- Venue
- Annual Review of Psychology
- Publisher
- Annual Reviews
- Published
- 2011-01-10
- Volume
- 62
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 103-134
- ISSN
- 0066-4308 (ISSN-L)
- 1545-2085
- OpenAlex
- W2126395049
- Semantic Scholar
- ab18fcdb39fe1c2e0e9cd1eac8dbf492ce7e326b
- Cited by
- 950
- References
- 248
- Citations by year
- 2026: 50 · 2025: 44 · 2024: 58 · 2023: 46 · 2022: 62 · 2021: 82 · 2020: 73 · 2019: 51 · 2018: 73 · 2017: 67 · 2016: 68 · 2015: 84 · 2014: 77 · 2013: 56 · 2012: 41
- FWCI
- 6.43
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Annual Review of Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Action Observation and Synchronization
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Literature and Literary Theory › Narrative Theory and Analysis
- Keywords
- theory of mind, mentalization, social cognition, narrative comprehension, narrative processing, mentalizing network, medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus, temporoparietal junction, neural basis of social cognition
- MeSH terms
- Brain, Brain Mapping, Cognition, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Reading, Social Perception, Comprehension, Theory of Mind
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review