title: The imitation game: Effects of social cues on 'imitation' are domain-general in nature.
abstract: Imitation has been hailed as 'social glue', facilitating rapport with others. Previous studies suggest that social cues modulate imitation but the mechanism of such modulation remains underspecified. Here we examine the locus, specificity, and neural basis of the social control of imitation. Social cues (group membership and eye gaze) were manipulated during an imitation task in which imitative and spatial compatibility could be measured independently. Participants were faster to perform compatible compared to incompatible movements in both spatial and imitative domains. However, only spatial compatibility was modulated by social cues: an interaction between group membership and eye gaze revealed more spatial compatibility for ingroup members with direct gaze and outgroup members with averted gaze. The fMRI data were consistent with this finding. Regions associated with the control of imitative responding (temporoparietal junction, inferior frontal gyrus) were more active during imitatively incompatible compared to imitatively compatible trials. However, this activity was not modulated by social cues. On the contrary, an interaction between group, gaze and spatial compatibility was found in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in a pattern consistent with reaction times. This region may be exerting control over the motor system to modulate response inhibition.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK; School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. Electronic address: Lauren.marsh@bristol.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Lauren E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Marsh
authors.affiliation: MRC Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Kings College London, UK; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK.
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bird
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK; Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Kings College London, UK.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Catmur
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007100:Imitative Behavior; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D012919:Social Behavior; D012938:Social Perception; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Eye gaze; Group membership; Imitation; Spatial compatibility; fMRI