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Updated: Apr 1, 2026

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation
Published on: December 31, 2013
Social class affects Mu-suppression during action observation
Michael E W Varnum1, Chris Blais1, Gene A Brewer1
1a Department of Psychology , Arizona State University , Tempe , USA.
Abstract:
Socioeconomic status (SES) has been linked to differences in the degree to which people are attuned to others. Those who are lower in SES also tend to be more interpersonally attuned. However, to date, this work has not been demonstrated using neural measures. In the present electroencephalogram study, we found evidence that lower SES was linked to stronger Mu-suppression during action observation. This finding adds to the growing literature on factors that affect Mu-suppression and suggests that the mirror neuron system may be influenced by one's social class.
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