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Action identity: evidence from self-recognition, prediction, and coordination.
Günther Knoblich1, Rüdiger Flach
1Max Planck Institute for Psychological Research, Amalienstrasse 33, 80799 Munich, Germany. knoblich@psy.mpg.de
Consciousness and Cognition
|December 6, 2003
Summary
Action knowledge, not just memory, contributes to a sense of self and identity. Research shows our procedural actions and how we perform them are integral to who we are.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychology of Self
Background:
- The action system is thought to generate an immediate sense of self by linking perceptions to one's own actions.
- Declarative memory (episodic, autobiographical) is traditionally considered the basis for a temporally extended sense of self or identity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review evidence that action (procedural) knowledge contributes to personal identity.
- To explore the concept of 'action identity' and its formation.
Main Methods:
- Review of experimental findings related to self-recognition of past actions.
- Analysis of studies on action prediction and coordination.
- Examination of phenomena related to observing actions and activating action representations.
Main Results:
- Experimental evidence supports the role of action knowledge in forming identity.
- Self-recognition of actions and prediction tasks highlight the link between action and self.
- The degree of activation of action representations correlates with the correspondence between observed and produced actions.
Conclusions:
- Action knowledge is a crucial component of personal identity, forming an 'action identity'.
- The way an individual performs an action influences self-recognition and the sense of self derived from observing actions.