Understanding action with the motor system.
We challenge Cook et al.'s claim about the vagueness of the notion of action understanding in relation with mirror neurons. We show the multidimensional nature of action understanding and provide a definition of motor-based action understanding, shedding new light on the various components of action understanding and on their relationship. Finally, we propose an alternative perspective on the origin of mirror neurons, stressing the necessity to abandon the dichotomy between genetic and associative hypotheses.
Department of Neuroscience, University of Parma, 43125 Parma, Italy. vittorio.gallese@unipr.it http://www.unipr.it/arpa/mirror/english/staff/gallese.htm.
Vittorio
V
Gallese
Department of Philosophy, University of Milan, 20121 Milan, Italy. corrado.sinigaglia@unimi.it http://dipartimento.filosofia.unimi.it/index.php/corrado-sinigaglia.
Corrado
C
Sinigaglia
D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D059167:Mirror Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D012938:Social Perception