Seeing a Bayesian ghost: Sensorimotor activation leads to an illusory social perception.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Social Psychology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Social expectations, formed from prior experiences, influence our anticipation of others' responses.
• Intense expectations can result in illusory social perception, termed 'Bayesian ghosts'.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the neural correlates of illusory social perception using electroencephalography (EEG).
• To understand the brain mechanisms underlying the formation and perception of 'Bayesian ghosts'.

Main Methods:

• Electroencephalography (EEG) was employed to record brain activity during illusory social perception tasks.
• Analysis focused on identifying brain regions associated with the prediction and experience of illusory social perceptions.

Main Results:

• Activation in the premotor cortex predicted the occurrence of illusory social perceptions ('Bayesian ghosts').
• The actual experience of the illusory perception was associated with activation in sensorimotor and parietal regions.

Conclusions:

• Prior expectations significantly shape social perception, capable of inducing illusory experiences.
• Illusory social perception involves distinct neural activity in action perception-related brain regions.
• Findings enhance understanding of social interaction in healthy individuals and mental illnesses with perceptual disturbances.