actions that imply particular timing

actions that imply particular timing patterns such as synchrony or rhythmic turn taking such as applauding in unison or the ‘wave’ that is produced by thousands of individual sports fans in a stadium. A model to explain such synchronized behavior is proposed in terms of the neural processes that are jointly recruited. One of the main implications suggested by this model is that taking part in or being part of a synchronized social interaction gives rise to a qualitative shift in subjective experience due to the difficulty of applying an individual centered explanation to collectively produced spontaneous co-action. You and I as One 7. Action at a Distance: The Invisible Force of Language Language forms the fabric of our social institutions and makes tangible the nature of our relationships. Although the function of language 1s typically viewed in terms of the information content that it provides, some of the social function of language may depend on the way it affects us. The idea of language impact — how language directly affects our emotions and social connections — may be fundamental to the way the social brain functions to connect people. Systems and Signals for Social Coordination 8. Hidden Forces in Understanding Others: Mirror Neurons and Neurobiological Underpinnings Specific brain regions in the monkey contain individual brain cells, or neurons, that respond to both observation and execution of identical hand and mouth actions. Brain imaging in humans has demonstrated that our brains have similarly localized regions with similar properties. These areas respond to execution of goal-directed actions of the hand and mouth and during observation of the same or similar actions. Interestingly, these brain regions in the human are also responsive to observation and imitation of facial movements, and appear to be sensitive to their emotional content. Connecting and Binding Social Brains and Minds 9. Empathy and Interpersonal Sensitivity Empathy is thought to play a key role in motivating prosocial behavior, guiding our preferences and behavioral responses, and providing the affective and motivational base for moral development. While folk conceptions of empathy view it as the capacity to share, understand and respond with care to the affective states of others, neuroscience research demonstrates that these components can be dissociated. Empathy is not a unique characteristic of human consciousness, but it is an important adaptive behavior that evolved with the mammalian brain. However, humans are special in the sense that high-level cognitive abilities (language, theory of mind, executive functions) are layered on top of phylogenetically older social and emotional capacities. These higher level cognitive and social capacities expand the range of behaviors that can be driven by empathy. Seeing into My Mind and Other Minds 10. Seeing Invisible Minds Other minds are inherently invisible. Being able to "see" them requires learning about other minds, attending to other minds, and projecting one’s own mind onto others, and seeing minds in other agents can mean the difference between treating others as humans versus as objects. Inferring Minds When None Can be Seen 11. Anthropomorphism: Human Connection to a Universal Society HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_021249