Theory of mind and the "somatic marker mechanism" (SMM).
The "somatic marker mechanism" (SMM; Damasio 1994) is proposed as the cognitive and neural basis of the theory of mind mechanism. The SMM evolved for evaluating the intentions, dispositions, and relationships of conspecifics; hence, it is adaptive in the social domain. It is predicted that chimpanzees will indeed have theory of mind (ToM) ability, but that this will be socially domain-specific. Domain-general ToM will be found only in primates with abstract, symbolic language (adult humans). Putative ToM tests require revision in the light of these distinctions.
Charlton
Bruce G
BG
Department of Psychology, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, United Kingdom bruce.g.charlton@ncl.ac.uk www.hedweb.com/bgcharlton/