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Updated: Jun 13, 2026
04:40
Tactile Semiautomatic Passive-Finger Angle Stimulator (TSPAS)
Published on: July 30, 2020
Somatosensation in social perception.
Christian Keysers1, Jon H Kaas, Valeria Gazzola
1Social Brain Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen, A. Deusinglaan 2, 9713AW Groningen, The Netherlands. c.keysers@nin.knaw.nl
Nature Reviews. Neuroscience
|May 7, 2010
Summary
Social neuroscience suggests that understanding others involves sensory cortices, not just motor areas. Witnessing others' sensations and pain activates our own somatosensory cortices, adding a sensory dimension to social perception.
Area of Science:
- Social Neuroscience
- Neurobiology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Mirror neurons in motor cortices were previously thought to be key for understanding others' behavior.
- This perspective overlooks the role of other brain regions in social perception.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of somatosensory cortices in social perception.
- To explore how the brain processes observed sensations, actions, and pain in others.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing neuroscientific studies.
- Analysis of brain activity measurements (e.g., fMRI) during observation of others' experiences.
Main Results:
- Vicarious activation in somatosensory cortices is consistently observed when participants witness others' sensations, actions, and pain.
- Somatosensory cortices possess anatomical connections supporting roles in visual and auditory social perception.
Conclusions:
- Somatosensory cortices play a significant role in social perception, complementing motor cortex functions.
- The brain integrates somatosensory information to create a richer perception of others' experiences.
Related Concept Videos
01:33Somatosensation
The somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.
01:11Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System
The somatosensory system is the central and peripheral nervous system component that senses and processes touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and body position or proprioception. The process of sensation takes place at three levels:
The receptor level:
The receptor level is the first stage of sensation. It involves the detection of a stimulus by specialized sensory receptors. The stimulus must arrive within the receptor's receptive field. Next, the receptor converts the energy of the stimulus...
The receptor level:
The receptor level is the first stage of sensation. It involves the detection of a stimulus by specialized sensory receptors. The stimulus must arrive within the receptor's receptive field. Next, the receptor converts the energy of the stimulus...
01:29Introducing Social Perception
Perceiving others accurately is fundamental to effective communication and relationship-building. Social perception, a key concept in social psychology, refers to the cognitive processes through which individuals gather and interpret information about others to understand their actions, intentions, and motivations. This process extends beyond spoken words and overt behaviors, incorporating subtle nonverbal cues and contextual factors.Nonverbal Cues and Their SignificanceNonverbal cues play a...
01:43Thermosensation
Peripheral thermosensation is the perception of external temperature. A change in temperature (on the surface of the skin and other tissues) is detected by a family of temperature-sensitive ion channels called Transient Receptor Potential, or TRP, receptors. These receptors are located on free nerve endings. Those detecting cold temperatures are closer to the surface of the skin than the nerve endings detecting warmth. These thermoTRP channels, while temperature selective, have relatively...
01:15Sensory Modalities
Sensation typically is the process by which the sensory receptors and sense organs detect stimuli from the internal and external environment and transmit this information to the central nervous system for processing.
General senses refer to the broad category of sensory information detected by receptors in the body and can be further grouped into somatic and visceral senses. Somatic sensations include touch, pressure, temperature, and pain and are essential for navigating our environment and...
General senses refer to the broad category of sensory information detected by receptors in the body and can be further grouped into somatic and visceral senses. Somatic sensations include touch, pressure, temperature, and pain and are essential for navigating our environment and...
01:28Perception
Perception is a fundamental psychological process that enables individuals to organize, interpret, and consciously experience sensory information. This process is crucial for understanding and interacting with the world around us. It includes both bottom-up and top-down processing, each playing a distinct role in how we perceive our environment.
Bottom-up processing begins at the sensory level, where receptors detect external environmental stimuli. These could include the tactile sensation of...
Bottom-up processing begins at the sensory level, where receptors detect external environmental stimuli. These could include the tactile sensation of...