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Cited by 267Action Observation and SynchronizationChild and Animal Learning DevelopmentSocial Robot Interaction and HRI

Social top-down response modulation (STORM): a model of the control of mimicry in social interaction

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Wang, Yin, Hamilton, Antonia F. de C.·2012·Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
DOI 10.3389/fnhum.2012.00153PMC PMC3366585
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Abstract

As a distinct feature of human social interactions, spontaneous mimicry has been widely investigated in the past decade. Research suggests that mimicry is a subtle and flexible social behavior which plays an important role for communication and affiliation. However, fundamental questions like why and how people mimic still remain unclear. In this paper, we evaluate past theories of why people mimic and the brain systems that implement mimicry in social psychology and cognitive neuroscience. By reviewing recent behavioral and neuroimaging studies on the control of mimicry by social signals, we conclude that the subtlety and sophistication of mimicry in social contexts reflect a social top-down response modulation (STORM) which increases one's social advantage and this mechanism is most likely implemented by medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). We suggest that this STORM account of mimicry is important for our understanding of social behavior and social cognition, and provides implications for future research in autism.

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Authors
Wang, Y., & Hamilton, A. F. D. C.
Affiliations
University of Nottingham (GB)
Corresponding author
Wang, Yin
ORCID
Venue
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
Publisher
Frontiers Media SA
Published
2012
Volume
6
Pages
153-153
ISSN
1662-5161 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3389/fnhum.2012.00153
PMC
PMC3366585
OpenAlex
W2136448620
Cited by
267
References
98
Citations by year
2026: 11 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 32 · 2019: 24 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 23 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 17 · 2013: 13 · 2012: 1
FWCI
24.13
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by-nc
Locations
  • Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Nottingham ePrints (University of Nottingham) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • Repository@Nottingham (University of Nottingham) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
Economic and Social Research Council (ES/J006793/1)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Action Observation and Synchronization
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Social Robot Interaction and HRI
Keywords
social interaction, medial prefrontal cortex, social advantage, social cognition, autism spectrum disorder, social signals, affiliation

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