Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 18, 2026
05:25
An Experiment Using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Robot-Assisted Multi-Joint Pointing Movements of the Lower Limb
Published on: June 7, 2024
Attributing intentions to random motion engages the posterior superior temporal sulcus
Su Mei Lee1, Tao Gao, Gregory McCarthy
1Department of Psychology, Yale University, PO Box 208205, New Haven, CT 06520, USA. gregory.mccarthy@yale.edu.
Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
|September 18, 2012
Summary
The right posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) activates when people infer intentions, even from random motion. This suggests top-down processing, not just visual cues, drives intention attribution.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Social Cognition
Background:
- The right posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) is crucial for detecting intentions in social agents.
- Visual cues like chasing reliably activate the pSTS for animacy detection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if the pSTS activates when attributing intentions to random motion without clear visual cues.
- To explore the role of top-down processes in intention attribution.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to measure brain activity.
- Participants viewed displays of moving circles, searching for specific motion patterns (chasing, mirror-correlated, random).
Main Results:
- pSTS activation was higher for chasing versus mirror-correlated motion when cues were present.
- Crucially, pSTS activation was also higher for chasing versus mirror-correlated motion when displays showed only random motion.
Conclusions:
- pSTS activity related to intention attribution can be triggered by top-down cognitive processes.
- Intentions can be inferred even in the absence of explicit visual cues for intentionality.
Related Concept Videos
01:14Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex
The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.
01:23Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex
The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobes is crucial for interpreting sensory data such as touch, temperature, and proprioception. The somatosensory cortex, situated in the parietal lobes, plays a vital role in interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature, and proprioception—awareness of body position. This specialized brain region features an organized structure wherein neurons at the top primarily process sensations originating from the lower body. In contrast, those at the...
01:21Association Areas of the Cortex
Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
01:28Major Somatic Sensory Pathways
Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the posterior columns...
01:22Indirect Motor Pathways
The indirect motor or extrapyramidal pathways originate in the brainstem, the lower portion of the brain that connects it to the spinal cord. They consist of several distinct tracts, each with specialized functions. The four main tracts of the indirect motor pathways are the vestibulospinal tract, the reticulospinal tract, the tectospinal tract, and the rubrospinal tract.
The vestibulospinal tract originates in the vestibular nuclei of the brainstem. The vestibular system detects changes in...
The vestibulospinal tract originates in the vestibular nuclei of the brainstem. The vestibular system detects changes in...
01:27Diencephalon: Thalamus and Information Relay
The thalamus, often called “the gateway to the cerebral cortex,” is vital in processing and directing sensory and motor signals throughout the brain. Almost all inputs destined for the cerebral cortex, except for olfactory signals, are relayed through the thalamus. The thalamus is a sophisticated relay station, channeling information from various brain regions to the cerebral cortex, as well as a filter, prioritizing certain signals over others based on current physiological states or needs.