Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Observational Learning

Observational Learning

Albert Bandura's observational learning, also known as imitation or modeling, occurs when a person observes and imitates another's behavior. It is a quicker process than operant conditioning. A well-known example is the Bobo doll study, where children who saw an adult acting aggressively towards the doll were more likely to act aggressively when left alone, compared to those who observed a nonaggressive adult. Many psychologists view observational learning as a form of latent learning...

The Nativist Approach

The Nativist Approach

The nativist approach to infant cognitive development proposes that infants are born with inherent knowledge structures that allow them to interpret the world almost immediately. This perspective contrasts with earlier developmental theories, such as those proposed by Jean Piaget, which emphasized a more gradual acquisition of cognitive abilities through interaction with the environment. One key concept in this approach is object permanence — the understanding that objects continue to...

Introduction to Learning

Introduction to Learning

Learning is the process of acquiring knowledge or skills through practice or experience, leading to long-lasting behavioral changes. This acquisition occurs through interaction with the environment and requires practice or experience. For instance, mastering a skill such as surfing requires considerable practice and experience, highlighting the essential role of repeated interactions with the environment in learning.
In contrast to learned behaviors, unlearned behaviors such as crying, sexual...

Purposive Learning

Purposive Learning

E. C. Tolman emphasized the purposiveness of behavior — the idea that much of our behavior is goal-directed. For instance, employees who aim for a promotion work diligently to meet their targets. Tolman argued that when classical conditioning and operant conditioning occur, the organism acquires certain expectations. In classical conditioning, a child might fear a dog because they expect it to bite. In operant conditioning, a person might consistently work overtime because they expect a...

Cognitive Learning

Cognitive Learning

Cognitive learning is based on purposive behavior, incidental learning, and insight learning.
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...

Nonconscious Mimicry

Nonconscious Mimicry

Nonconscious mimicry occurs when individuals alter their mannerisms to match the behaviors and expressions of those nearby, without intention.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Realistic monkey body animation reveals an uncanny valley in macaque body perception.

PLoS biology·2026

Same author

Facial expression recognition based on multi-domain norm-referenced encoding.

Neural networks : the official journal of the International Neural Network Society·2025

Same author

Neural encoding of biomechanically (im)possible human movements in occipitotemporal cortex.

PLoS computational biology·2025

Same author

Encoding of movement style: From kinematics to neurons: Comment on "Kinematic coding': Measuring information in naturalistic behavior" by C. Becchio, J. Pullar, E. Scaliti, & S. Panzeri.

Physics of life reviews·2025

Same author

Lessons learned from a multimodal sensor-based eHealth approach for treating pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Frontiers in digital health·2024

Same author

Digital Gait Measures Capture 1-Year Progression in Early-Stage Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2.

Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 30, 2026

Using Virtual Reality to Transfer Motor Skill Knowledge from One Hand to Another

Using Virtual Reality to Transfer Motor Skill Knowledge from One Hand to Another

Published on: September 18, 2017

Mirror representations innate versus determined by experience: a viewpoint from learning theory.

Martin A Giese¹

¹Section for Computational Sensomotorics, Department of Cognitive Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, and Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University Clinic Tübingen, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany. martin.giese@uni-tuebingen.de http://www.compsens.uni-tuebingen.de.

The Behavioral and Brain Sciences

|April 30, 2014

Summary

Mirror neurons link action perception and planning through multimodal representations. Their complex learning relies on neural plasticity, generalization, and anatomical constraints, not just genetics.

More Related Videos

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation

Published on: March 1, 2017

A Modified Mirror Test as a Visual Guide for the Self-awareness Trait in Wild Antarctica Penguins, Pygoscelis adeliae

A Modified Mirror Test as a Visual Guide for the Self-awareness Trait in Wild Antarctica Penguins, Pygoscelis adeliae

Published on: July 8, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 30, 2026

Using Virtual Reality to Transfer Motor Skill Knowledge from One Hand to Another

Using Virtual Reality to Transfer Motor Skill Knowledge from One Hand to Another

Published on: September 18, 2017

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation

Published on: March 1, 2017

A Modified Mirror Test as a Visual Guide for the Self-awareness Trait in Wild Antarctica Penguins, Pygoscelis adeliae

A Modified Mirror Test as a Visual Guide for the Self-awareness Trait in Wild Antarctica Penguins, Pygoscelis adeliae

Published on: July 8, 2025

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Computational Learning
Pattern Recognition

Background:

Mirror neurons are crucial for understanding actions and intentions.
They represent a multimodal system linking perception and motor planning.
The precise mechanisms for their development and function are under investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the computational and learning principles underlying mirror neuron function.
To investigate how mirror neurons form complex multimodal representations.
To understand the interplay of neural mechanisms in mirror neuron system development.

Main Methods:

Conceptual analysis from the perspective of computational learning.
Examination of pattern recognition principles applied to neural representations.
Discussion of neurobiological factors like plasticity and anatomical constraints.

Main Results:

Mirror neurons provide a unique multimodal representation linking action perception and planning.
Genetic code alone is insufficient to specify all details of these representations.
Robust learning necessitates interaction between neural plasticity, generalization, and anatomical limitations.

Conclusions:

Mirror neuron system development is a complex process shaped by learning and intrinsic neural properties.
Understanding mirror neurons requires integrating computational, learning, and neuroanatomical perspectives.
Future research should focus on the interplay of plasticity, generalization, and anatomical constraints in mirror neuron function.