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Shared representations between self and other: a social cognitive neuroscience view.
Jean Decety1, Jessica A Sommerville
1Social Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Washington Center for Mind, Brain & Learning, Box 357988, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. decety@u.washington.edu
Trends in Cognitive Sciences
|December 3, 2003
Summary
Understanding self and others involves a shared brain network. Self-awareness and agency are key to navigating these representations, with specific brain regions like the inferior parietal cortex and prefrontal cortex playing crucial roles in interpersonal awareness.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Intersubjective transactions rely on distinguishing self from other.
- Shared representations underpin social cognition and empathy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the common neural network for self and other representations.
- To investigate the roles of self-awareness and agency in social cognition.
Main Methods:
- Review of evidence from developmental science.
- Synthesis of findings from social psychology.
- Analysis of neuroscientific and neuropsychological data.
Main Results:
- Evidence supports a common computational and neural network for self and other.
- Distinction between self and other representations is maintained.
- Right hemisphere inferior parietal cortex and prefrontal cortex are implicated.
Conclusions:
- Shared neural networks facilitate understanding of self and others.
- Self-awareness and agency are critical for navigating social interactions.
- Specific right-hemisphere regions are vital for interpersonal awareness.