Publications
All accompanying preregistration, data, and supplemental materials under “Links”
Saxe, Rebecca; Moran, Joseph M; Scholz, Jonathan; Gabrieli, John
Overlapping and non-overlapping brain regions for theory of mind and self reflection in individual subjects Journal Article
In: Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, vol. 115, pp. 229 - 234, 2006, ISSN: 1749-5016.
@article{191,
title = {Overlapping and non-overlapping brain regions for theory of mind and self reflection in individual subjects},
author = {Rebecca Saxe and Joseph M Moran and Jonathan Scholz and John Gabrieli},
url = {https://academic.oup.com/scan/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/scan/nsl034, Publisher
https://saxelab.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Saxe-R.-Moran-J.-Scholz-J.-Gabrieli-J.-2006-Overlapping-and-non-overlapping-brain-regions-for-theory-of-mind-and-self-reflection-in-individual-subjects-Social-Cognitive-and-Affective-Neuroscience.pdf, PDF
https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&citation_for_view=Tv-zquoAAAAJ:eQOLeE2rZwMC, Google Scholar
},
doi = {10.1093/scan/nsl034},
issn = {1749-5016},
year = {2006},
date = {2006-12-01},
urldate = {2006-12-01},
journal = {Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience},
volume = {115},
pages = {229 - 234},
abstract = {When subjects are required to reason about someone's false belief, a consistent pattern of brain regions are recruited including the medial prefrontal cortex, medial precuneus and bilateral temporo-parietal junction. Previous group analyses suggest that the two medial regions, but not the lateral regions, are also recruited when subjects engage in self-reflection. The current study directly compared the results of the ‘false belief’ and ‘self’ tasks in individual subjects. Consistent with previous reports, the medial prefrontal and medial precuneus regions recruited by the two tasks significantly overlap in individual subjects, although there was also evidence for non-overlapping voxels in medial regions. The temporo-parietal regions are only recruited for the ‘theory of mind’ task. Six possible models of the relationship between theory of mind, self-reflection and autobiographical memory, all consistent with both neurobiological and developmental evidence to date, are discussed.},
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When subjects are required to reason about someone's false belief, a consistent pattern of brain regions are recruited including the medial prefrontal cortex, medial precuneus and bilateral temporo-parietal junction. Previous group analyses suggest that the two medial regions, but not the lateral regions, are also recruited when subjects engage in self-reflection. The current study directly compared the results of the ‘false belief’ and ‘self’ tasks in individual subjects. Consistent with previous reports, the medial prefrontal and medial precuneus regions recruited by the two tasks significantly overlap in individual subjects, although there was also evidence for non-overlapping voxels in medial regions. The temporo-parietal regions are only recruited for the ‘theory of mind’ task. Six possible models of the relationship between theory of mind, self-reflection and autobiographical memory, all consistent with both neurobiological and developmental evidence to date, are discussed.
Saxe, Rebecca; Carey, Susan
The perception of causality in infancy Journal Article
In: Acta Psychologica, vol. 123, pp. 144 - 165, 2006, ISSN: 00016918.
@article{188,
title = {The perception of causality in infancy},
author = {Rebecca Saxe and Susan Carey},
url = {http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0001691806000710, Publisher
https://saxelab.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Saxe-R.-Carey-S.-2006.-The-perception-of-Causality-in-Infancy-Acta-Psychologica.pdf, PDF
https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&citation_for_view=Tv-zquoAAAAJ:ULOm3_A8WrAC, Google Scholar
},
doi = {10.1016/j.actpsy.2006.05.005},
issn = {00016918},
year = {2006},
date = {2006-09-01},
urldate = {2006-09-01},
journal = {Acta Psychologica},
volume = {123},
pages = {144 - 165},
abstract = {Michotte proposed a rationalist theory of the origin of the human capacity to represent causal relations among events. He suggested that the input analyzer that underlies the causal perception in launching, entraining, and expulsion events is innate and is the ultimate source of all causal representations. We review the literature on infant causal representations, providing evidence that launching, entraining and expulsion events are interpreted causally by young infants. However, there is as of yet no good evidence that these representations are innate. Furthermore, there is considerable evidence that these representations are not the sole source of the human capacity for causal representation.},
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}
Michotte proposed a rationalist theory of the origin of the human capacity to represent causal relations among events. He suggested that the input analyzer that underlies the causal perception in launching, entraining, and expulsion events is innate and is the ultimate source of all causal representations. We review the literature on infant causal representations, providing evidence that launching, entraining and expulsion events are interpreted causally by young infants. However, there is as of yet no good evidence that these representations are innate. Furthermore, there is considerable evidence that these representations are not the sole source of the human capacity for causal representation.
Saxe, Rebecca; Schulz, Laura E; Jiang, Yuhong V
Reading minds versus following rules: Dissociating theory of mind and executive control in the brain Journal Article
In: Social Neuroscience, vol. 1, pp. 284 - 298, 2006, ISSN: 1747-0919.
@article{192,
title = {Reading minds versus following rules: Dissociating theory of mind and executive control in the brain},
author = {Rebecca Saxe and Laura E Schulz and Yuhong V Jiang},
url = {http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17470910601000446, Publisher
https://saxelab.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Saxe-R.-Schulz-L.-Jiang-Y.-2006.-Reading-Minds-versus-Following-Rules-Social-Neuroscience.pdf, PDF
https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&citation_for_view=Tv-zquoAAAAJ:WF5omc3nYNoC, Google Scholar},
doi = {10.1080/17470910601000446},
issn = {1747-0919},
year = {2006},
date = {2006-09-01},
urldate = {2006-09-01},
journal = {Social Neuroscience},
volume = {1},
pages = {284 - 298},
abstract = {The false belief task commonly used in the study of theory of mind (ToM) requires participants to select among competing responses and inhibit prepotent responses, giving rise to three possibilities: (1) the false belief tasks might require only executive function abilities and there may be no domain-specific component; (2) executive control might be necessary for the emergence of ToM in development but play no role in adult mental state inferences; and (3) executive control and domain-specific ToM abilities might both be implicated. We used fMRI in healthy adults to dissociate these possibilities. We found that non-overlapping brain regions were implicated selectively in response selection and belief attribution, that belief attribution tasks recruit brain regions associated with response selection as much as well-matched control tasks, and that regions associated with ToM (e.g., the right temporo-parietal junction) were implicated only in the belief attribution tasks. These results suggest that both domain-general and domain-specific cognitive resources are involved in adult ToM.},
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pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The false belief task commonly used in the study of theory of mind (ToM) requires participants to select among competing responses and inhibit prepotent responses, giving rise to three possibilities: (1) the false belief tasks might require only executive function abilities and there may be no domain-specific component; (2) executive control might be necessary for the emergence of ToM in development but play no role in adult mental state inferences; and (3) executive control and domain-specific ToM abilities might both be implicated. We used fMRI in healthy adults to dissociate these possibilities. We found that non-overlapping brain regions were implicated selectively in response selection and belief attribution, that belief attribution tasks recruit brain regions associated with response selection as much as well-matched control tasks, and that regions associated with ToM (e.g., the right temporo-parietal junction) were implicated only in the belief attribution tasks. These results suggest that both domain-general and domain-specific cognitive resources are involved in adult ToM.
Saxe, Rebecca; Powell, Lindsey J
It’s the Thought That Counts: specific brain regions for one component of theory of mind Journal Article
In: Psychological Science, vol. 17, pp. 692 - 699, 2006, ISSN: 0956-7976.
@article{189,
title = {It’s the Thought That Counts: specific brain regions for one component of theory of mind},
author = {Rebecca Saxe and Lindsey J Powell},
url = {http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01768.x, Publisher
https://saxelab.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Saxe-R.-Powell-L.-2006.-Its-the-thought-that-counts-Psychological-Science.pdf, PDF
https://saxelab.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Saxe-Powell-2006-Stimuli.pdf, Stimuli
https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&citation_for_view=Tv-zquoAAAAJ:2osOgNQ5qMEC, Google Scholar},
doi = {10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01768.x},
issn = {0956-7976},
year = {2006},
date = {2006-08-01},
urldate = {2006-08-01},
journal = {Psychological Science},
volume = {17},
pages = {692 - 699},
abstract = {Evidence from developmental psychology suggests that representing the contents of other people’s thoughts and beliefs depends on a component of reasoning about other minds (theory of mind) that is distinct from the earlier-developing mental-state concepts for goals, perceptions, and feelings. To provide converging evidence, the current study investigated the substrate of the late-developing process in adult brains. Three regions—the right and left temporo-parietal junction and the posterior cingulate—responded selectively when subjects read about a protagonist’s thoughts, but not when they read about other subjective, internal states or other socially relevant information about a person. By contrast, the medial prefrontal cortex responded equivalently in all of these story conditions, a result consistent with a broader role for medial prefrontal cortex in general social cognition. These data support the hypothesis that the early- and late-developing components of theory of mind rely on separate psychological and neural mechanisms, and that these mechanisms remain distinct into adulthood.},
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pubstate = {published},
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}
Evidence from developmental psychology suggests that representing the contents of other people’s thoughts and beliefs depends on a component of reasoning about other minds (theory of mind) that is distinct from the earlier-developing mental-state concepts for goals, perceptions, and feelings. To provide converging evidence, the current study investigated the substrate of the late-developing process in adult brains. Three regions—the right and left temporo-parietal junction and the posterior cingulate—responded selectively when subjects read about a protagonist’s thoughts, but not when they read about other subjective, internal states or other socially relevant information about a person. By contrast, the medial prefrontal cortex responded equivalently in all of these story conditions, a result consistent with a broader role for medial prefrontal cortex in general social cognition. These data support the hypothesis that the early- and late-developing components of theory of mind rely on separate psychological and neural mechanisms, and that these mechanisms remain distinct into adulthood.
Saxe, Rebecca; Brett, Matthew; Kanwisher, Nancy
Divide and conquer: A defense of functional localizers Journal Article
In: NeuroImage, vol. 30, pp. 1088 - 1096, 2006, ISSN: 10538119.
@article{31,
title = {Divide and conquer: A defense of functional localizers},
author = {Rebecca Saxe and Matthew Brett and Nancy Kanwisher},
url = {http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1053811905025796, Publisher
https://saxelab.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Saxe-R.-Brett-M.-Kanwisher-N.-2006.-Divide-and-Conquer-a-defense-of-functional-localizers-Neuroimage.pdf, PDF
https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&citation_for_view=Tv-zquoAAAAJ:IjCSPb-OGe4C, Google Scholar},
doi = {10.1016/j.neuroimage.2005.12.062},
issn = {10538119},
year = {2006},
date = {2006-05-01},
urldate = {2006-05-01},
journal = {NeuroImage},
volume = {30},
pages = {1088 - 1096},
abstract = {Numerous functionally distinct regions of cortex (e.g., V1, MT, the fusiform face area) can be easily identified in any normal human subject in just a few minutes of fMRI scanning. However, the locations of these regions vary across subjects. Investigations of these regions have therefore often used a functional region of interest (fROI) approach in which the region is first identified functionally in each subject individually, before subsequent scans in the same subjects test specific hypotheses concerning that region. This fROI method, which resembled long-established practice in visual neurophysiology, has methodological, statistical, and theoretical advantages over standard alternatives (such as whole-brain analyses of group data): (i) because functional properties are more consistently and robustly associated with fROIs than with locations in stereotaxic space, functional hypotheses concerning fROIs are often the most straightforward to frame, motivate, and test, (ii) because hypotheses are tested in only a handful of fROIs (instead of in tens of thousands of voxels), advance specification of fROIs provides a massive increase in statistical power over whole-brain analyses, and (iii) some fROIs may serve as candidate distinct components of the mind/brain worth investigation as such. Of course fROIs can be productively used in conjunction with other complementary methods. Here, we explain the motivation for and advantages of the fROI approach, and we rebut the criticism of this method offered by Friston et al. (Friston, K., Rotshtein, P., Geng, J., Sterzer, P., Henson, R., in press. A critique of functional localizers. NeuroImage).},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Numerous functionally distinct regions of cortex (e.g., V1, MT, the fusiform face area) can be easily identified in any normal human subject in just a few minutes of fMRI scanning. However, the locations of these regions vary across subjects. Investigations of these regions have therefore often used a functional region of interest (fROI) approach in which the region is first identified functionally in each subject individually, before subsequent scans in the same subjects test specific hypotheses concerning that region. This fROI method, which resembled long-established practice in visual neurophysiology, has methodological, statistical, and theoretical advantages over standard alternatives (such as whole-brain analyses of group data): (i) because functional properties are more consistently and robustly associated with fROIs than with locations in stereotaxic space, functional hypotheses concerning fROIs are often the most straightforward to frame, motivate, and test, (ii) because hypotheses are tested in only a handful of fROIs (instead of in tens of thousands of voxels), advance specification of fROIs provides a massive increase in statistical power over whole-brain analyses, and (iii) some fROIs may serve as candidate distinct components of the mind/brain worth investigation as such. Of course fROIs can be productively used in conjunction with other complementary methods. Here, we explain the motivation for and advantages of the fROI approach, and we rebut the criticism of this method offered by Friston et al. (Friston, K., Rotshtein, P., Geng, J., Sterzer, P., Henson, R., in press. A critique of functional localizers. NeuroImage).
Saxe, Rebecca; Jamal, Nasheed; Powell, Lindsey
My Body or Yours? The Effect of Visual Perspective on Cortical Body Representations Journal Article
In: Cerebral Cortex, vol. 16, pp. 178 - 182, 2006, ISSN: 1047-3211.
@article{190,
title = {My Body or Yours? The Effect of Visual Perspective on Cortical Body Representations},
author = {Rebecca Saxe and Nasheed Jamal and Lindsey Powell},
url = {http://academic.oup.com/cercor/article/16/2/178/281499/My-Body-or-Yours-The-Effect-of-Visual-Perspective, Publisher
https://saxelab.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/bhi095.pdf, PDF
https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=Tv-zquoAAAAJ&cstart=200&pagesize=100&sortby=pubdate&citation_for_view=Tv-zquoAAAAJ:W7OEmFMy1HYC, Google Scholar},
doi = {10.1093/cercor/bhi095},
issn = {1047-3211},
year = {2006},
date = {2006-04-01},
urldate = {2006-04-01},
journal = {Cerebral Cortex},
volume = {16},
pages = {178 - 182},
abstract = {A human body part, such as a foot, may be observed from an egocentric perspective (consistent with looking at one’s own body, e.g. top of the foot, toes pointing up) or from an allocentric perspective (only consistent with looking at someone else, e.g. top of the foot, toes pointing downwards). We found that the right extrastriate body area (EBA) response to images of body parts was enhanced for body parts presented from an allocentric perspective. Other areas of extrastriate cortex which responded robustly to images of bodies, including the right lateral occipital complex, right MT and left EBA, nevertheless did not distinguish between the two perspectives. A region of primary somatosensory cortex showed the reverse selectivity: the blood oxygen level-dependent response to body parts presented from an allocentric perspective was suppressed. These results help to illuminate the integration of visual and tactile information by which the brain identifies seen body parts as belonging to the self or to another person.},
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pubstate = {published},
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A human body part, such as a foot, may be observed from an egocentric perspective (consistent with looking at one’s own body, e.g. top of the foot, toes pointing up) or from an allocentric perspective (only consistent with looking at someone else, e.g. top of the foot, toes pointing downwards). We found that the right extrastriate body area (EBA) response to images of body parts was enhanced for body parts presented from an allocentric perspective. Other areas of extrastriate cortex which responded robustly to images of bodies, including the right lateral occipital complex, right MT and left EBA, nevertheless did not distinguish between the two perspectives. A region of primary somatosensory cortex showed the reverse selectivity: the blood oxygen level-dependent response to body parts presented from an allocentric perspective was suppressed. These results help to illuminate the integration of visual and tactile information by which the brain identifies seen body parts as belonging to the self or to another person.
Saxe, Rebecca
Uniquely human social cognition Journal Article
In: Current Opinion in Neurobiology, vol. 16, pp. 235 - 239, 2006, ISSN: 09594388.
@article{186,
title = {Uniquely human social cognition},
author = {Rebecca Saxe},
url = {http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0959438806000262, Publisher
https://saxelab.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Saxe-R.-2006.-Uniquely-Human-Social-Cognition-Current-Opinion-in-Neurobiology.pdf, PDF
https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=Tv-zquoAAAAJ&cstart=200&pagesize=100&sortby=pubdate&citation_for_view=Tv-zquoAAAAJ:u-x6o8ySG0sC, Google Scholar},
doi = {10.1016/j.conb.2006.03.001},
issn = {09594388},
year = {2006},
date = {2006-04-01},
urldate = {2006-04-01},
journal = {Current Opinion in Neurobiology},
volume = {16},
pages = {235 - 239},
abstract = {Recent data identify distinct components of social cognition associated with five brain regions. In posterior temporal cortex, the extrastriate body area is associated with perceiving the form of other human bodies. A nearby region in the posterior superior temporal sulcus is involved in interpreting the motions of a human body in terms of goals. A distinct region at the temporo-parietal junction supports the uniquely human ability to reason about the contents of mental states. Medial prefrontal cortex is divided into at least two subregions. Ventral medial prefrontal cortex is implicated in emotional empathy, whereas dorsal medial prefrontal cortex is implicated in the uniquely human representation of triadic relations between two minds and an object, supporting shared attention and collaborative goals.},
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}
Recent data identify distinct components of social cognition associated with five brain regions. In posterior temporal cortex, the extrastriate body area is associated with perceiving the form of other human bodies. A nearby region in the posterior superior temporal sulcus is involved in interpreting the motions of a human body in terms of goals. A distinct region at the temporo-parietal junction supports the uniquely human ability to reason about the contents of mental states. Medial prefrontal cortex is divided into at least two subregions. Ventral medial prefrontal cortex is implicated in emotional empathy, whereas dorsal medial prefrontal cortex is implicated in the uniquely human representation of triadic relations between two minds and an object, supporting shared attention and collaborative goals.
Saxe, Rebecca
Why and how to study Theory of Mind with fMRI Journal Article
In: Brain Research, vol. 1079, pp. 57 - 65, 2006, ISSN: 00068993.
@article{187,
title = {Why and how to study Theory of Mind with fMRI},
author = {Rebecca Saxe},
url = {http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0006899306000114, Publisher
https://saxelab.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Saxe.pdf, PDF
https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=Tv-zquoAAAAJ&cstart=200&pagesize=100&sortby=pubdate&citation_for_view=Tv-zquoAAAAJ:_kc_bZDykSQC, Google Scholar},
doi = {10.1016/j.brainres.2006.01.001},
issn = {00068993},
year = {2006},
date = {2006-03-01},
urldate = {2006-03-01},
journal = {Brain Research},
volume = {1079},
pages = {57 - 65},
abstract = {<p>Social cognitive neuroscience investigates the psychological and neural basis of perception and reasoning about other people, especially in terms of invisible internal states. This enterprise poses many challenges. The current review describes responses to three such challenges: deriving hypotheses from developmental psychology, using verbal narratives as stimuli, and analysing the results in functionally defined regions of interest.</p>},
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pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
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<p>Social cognitive neuroscience investigates the psychological and neural basis of perception and reasoning about other people, especially in terms of invisible internal states. This enterprise poses many challenges. The current review describes responses to three such challenges: deriving hypotheses from developmental psychology, using verbal narratives as stimuli, and analysing the results in functionally defined regions of interest.</p>
Baker, Chris L; Tenenbaum, Josh B; Saxe, Rebecca R
Bayesian models of human action understanding Journal Article
In: Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems, vol. 18, pp. 99 - 106, 2006.
@article{185,
title = {Bayesian models of human action understanding},
author = {Chris L Baker and Josh B Tenenbaum and Rebecca R Saxe},
url = {https://saxelab.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Baker-C.L.-Tenenbaum-J.B.-Saxe-R.R.-2006.-Bayesian-models-of-human-action-understanding-Advances-in-Neural-Information-Processing-Systems-18.pdf, PDF
https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=Tv-zquoAAAAJ&cstart=300&pagesize=100&sortby=pubdate&citation_for_view=Tv-zquoAAAAJ:Zph67rFs4hoC, Google Scholar},
year = {2006},
date = {2006-01-01},
urldate = {2006-01-01},
journal = {Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems},
volume = {18},
pages = {99 - 106},
abstract = {We present a Bayesian framework for explaining how people reason about and predict the actions of an intentional agent, based on observing its behavior. Action-understanding is cast as a problem of inverting a probabilistic generative model, which assumes that agents tend to act rationally in order to achieve their goals given the constraints of their environment. Working in a simple sprite-world domain, we show how this model can be used to infer the goal of an agent and predict how the agent will act in novel situations or when environmental constraints change. The model provides a qualitative account of several kinds of inferences that preverbal infants have been shown to perform, and also fits quantitative predictions that adult observers make in a new experiment.},
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pubstate = {published},
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We present a Bayesian framework for explaining how people reason about and predict the actions of an intentional agent, based on observing its behavior. Action-understanding is cast as a problem of inverting a probabilistic generative model, which assumes that agents tend to act rationally in order to achieve their goals given the constraints of their environment. Working in a simple sprite-world domain, we show how this model can be used to infer the goal of an agent and predict how the agent will act in novel situations or when environmental constraints change. The model provides a qualitative account of several kinds of inferences that preverbal infants have been shown to perform, and also fits quantitative predictions that adult observers make in a new experiment.
Heberlein, Andrea S.; Saxe, Rebecca R.
Dissociation between emotion and personality judgments: Convergent evidence from functional neuroimaging Journal Article
In: NeuroImage, vol. 28, pp. 770 - 777, 2005, ISSN: 10538119.
@article{32,
title = {Dissociation between emotion and personality judgments: Convergent evidence from functional neuroimaging},
author = {Andrea S. Heberlein and Rebecca R. Saxe},
url = {http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1053811905004568, Publisher
https://saxelab.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Heberlein-A.-Saxe-R.-2005.-Dissociation-between-emotion-and-personality-judgments-Convergent-evidence-from-functional-neuroimaging-Neuroimage.pdf, PDF
https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=Tv-zquoAAAAJ&cstart=200&pagesize=100&sortby=pubdate&citation_for_view=Tv-zquoAAAAJ:M3ejUd6NZC8C, Google Scholar},
doi = {10.1016/j.neuroimage.2005.06.064},
issn = {10538119},
year = {2005},
date = {2005-12-01},
urldate = {2005-12-01},
journal = {NeuroImage},
volume = {28},
pages = {770 - 777},
abstract = {Cognitive neuroscientists widely agree on the importance of providing convergent evidence from neuroimaging and lesion studies to establish structure–function relationships. However, such convergent evidence is, in practice, rarely provided. A previous lesion study found a striking double dissociation between two superficially similar social judgment processes, emotion recognition and personality attribution, based on the same body movement stimuli (point-light walkers). Damage to left frontal opercular (LFO) cortices was associated with impairments in personality trait attribution, whereas damage to right postcentral/supramarginal cortices was associated with impairments in emotional state attribution. Here, we present convergent evidence from fMRI in support of this double dissociation, with regions of interest (ROIs) defined by the regions of maximal lesion overlap from the previous study.
Subjects learned four emotion words and four trait words, then watched a series of short point-light walker body movement stimuli. After each stimulus, subjects saw either an emotion word or a trait word and rated how well the word described the stimulus. The LFO ROI exhibited greater activity during personality judgments than during emotion judgments. In contrast, the right postcentral/supramarginal ROI exhibited greater activity during emotion judgments than during personality judgments. Follow-up experiments ruled out the possibility that the LFO activation difference was due to word frequency differences. Additionally, we found greater activity in a region of the medial prefrontal cortex previously associated with “theory of mind” tasks when subjects made personality, as compared to emotion judgments.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Cognitive neuroscientists widely agree on the importance of providing convergent evidence from neuroimaging and lesion studies to establish structure–function relationships. However, such convergent evidence is, in practice, rarely provided. A previous lesion study found a striking double dissociation between two superficially similar social judgment processes, emotion recognition and personality attribution, based on the same body movement stimuli (point-light walkers). Damage to left frontal opercular (LFO) cortices was associated with impairments in personality trait attribution, whereas damage to right postcentral/supramarginal cortices was associated with impairments in emotional state attribution. Here, we present convergent evidence from fMRI in support of this double dissociation, with regions of interest (ROIs) defined by the regions of maximal lesion overlap from the previous study.
Subjects learned four emotion words and four trait words, then watched a series of short point-light walker body movement stimuli. After each stimulus, subjects saw either an emotion word or a trait word and rated how well the word described the stimulus. The LFO ROI exhibited greater activity during personality judgments than during emotion judgments. In contrast, the right postcentral/supramarginal ROI exhibited greater activity during emotion judgments than during personality judgments. Follow-up experiments ruled out the possibility that the LFO activation difference was due to word frequency differences. Additionally, we found greater activity in a region of the medial prefrontal cortex previously associated with “theory of mind” tasks when subjects made personality, as compared to emotion judgments.
Subjects learned four emotion words and four trait words, then watched a series of short point-light walker body movement stimuli. After each stimulus, subjects saw either an emotion word or a trait word and rated how well the word described the stimulus. The LFO ROI exhibited greater activity during personality judgments than during emotion judgments. In contrast, the right postcentral/supramarginal ROI exhibited greater activity during emotion judgments than during personality judgments. Follow-up experiments ruled out the possibility that the LFO activation difference was due to word frequency differences. Additionally, we found greater activity in a region of the medial prefrontal cortex previously associated with “theory of mind” tasks when subjects made personality, as compared to emotion judgments.
Saxe, R; Tenenbaum, J B; Carey, S
Secret Agents: Inferences About Hidden Causes by 10- and 12-Month-Old Infants Journal Article
In: Psychological Science, vol. 16, pp. 995 - 1001, 2005, ISSN: 0956-7976.
@article{183,
title = {Secret Agents: Inferences About Hidden Causes by 10- and 12-Month-Old Infants},
author = {R Saxe and J B Tenenbaum and S Carey},
url = {http://pss.sagepub.com/lookup/doi/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2005.01649.x, Publisher
https://saxelab.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/secret-agent-05.pdf, PDF},
doi = {10.1111/j.1467-9280.2005.01649.x},
issn = {0956-7976},
year = {2005},
date = {2005-12-01},
urldate = {2005-12-01},
journal = {Psychological Science},
volume = {16},
pages = {995 - 1001},
abstract = {Considerable evidence indicates that preverbal infants expect that only physical contact can cause an inanimate object to move. However, very few studies have investigated infants' expectations about the source of causal power. In three experiments, we found that (a) 10- and 12-month-old infants expect a human hand, and not an inanimate object, to be the primary cause of an inanimate object's motion; (b) infants' expectations can lead them to infer a hidden causal agent without any direct perceptual evidence; and (c) infants do not infer a hidden causal agent if the moving object was previously shown to be capable of self-generated motion.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Considerable evidence indicates that preverbal infants expect that only physical contact can cause an inanimate object to move. However, very few studies have investigated infants' expectations about the source of causal power. In three experiments, we found that (a) 10- and 12-month-old infants expect a human hand, and not an inanimate object, to be the primary cause of an inanimate object's motion; (b) infants' expectations can lead them to infer a hidden causal agent without any direct perceptual evidence; and (c) infants do not infer a hidden causal agent if the moving object was previously shown to be capable of self-generated motion.
Saxe, Rebecca
Against simulation: the argument from error Journal Article
In: Trends in Cognitive Sciences, vol. 9, pp. 174 - 179, 2005, ISSN: 13646613.
@article{181,
title = {Against simulation: the argument from error},
author = {Rebecca Saxe},
url = {http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1364661305000318, Publisher
https://saxelab.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Saxe-R.-2005.-Against-Simulation-the-Argument-from-Error-Trends-in-Cognitive-Science.pdf, PDF
https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=Tv-zquoAAAAJ&cstart=200&pagesize=100&sortby=pubdate&citation_for_view=Tv-zquoAAAAJ:Y0pCki6q_DkC, Google Scholar
},
doi = {10.1016/j.tics.2005.01.012},
issn = {13646613},
year = {2005},
date = {2005-04-01},
urldate = {2005-04-01},
journal = {Trends in Cognitive Sciences},
volume = {9},
pages = {174 - 179},
abstract = {According to Simulation Theory, to understand what is going on in another person's mind, the observer uses his or her own mind as a model of the other mind. Recently, philosophers and cognitive neuroscientists have proposed that mirror neurones (which fire in response to both executing and observing a goal directed action) provide a plausible neural substrate for simulation, a mechanism for directly perceiving, or ‘resonating' with, the contents of other minds. This article makes the case against Simulation Theory, using evidence from cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology, and social psychology. In particular, the errors that adults and children make when reasoning about other minds are not consistent with the ‘resonance' versions of Simulation Theory.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
According to Simulation Theory, to understand what is going on in another person's mind, the observer uses his or her own mind as a model of the other mind. Recently, philosophers and cognitive neuroscientists have proposed that mirror neurones (which fire in response to both executing and observing a goal directed action) provide a plausible neural substrate for simulation, a mechanism for directly perceiving, or ‘resonating' with, the contents of other minds. This article makes the case against Simulation Theory, using evidence from cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology, and social psychology. In particular, the errors that adults and children make when reasoning about other minds are not consistent with the ‘resonance' versions of Simulation Theory.
Saxe, R; Wexler, A
Making sense of another mind: The role of the right temporo-parietal junction Journal Article
In: Neuropsychologia, vol. 43, pp. 1391 - 1399, 2005, ISSN: 00283932.
@article{182,
title = {Making sense of another mind: The role of the right temporo-parietal junction},
author = {R Saxe and A Wexler},
url = {http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0028393205001223, Publisher
https://saxelab.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/1-s2.0-S0028393205001223-main.pdf, PDF
https://saxelab.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Saxe-Wexler-2005-Stimuli.pdf, Stimuli
https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=Tv-zquoAAAAJ&citation_for_view=Tv-zquoAAAAJ:9yKSN-GCB0IC, Google Scholar},
doi = {10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2005.02.013},
issn = {00283932},
year = {2005},
date = {2005-01-01},
urldate = {2005-01-01},
journal = {Neuropsychologia},
volume = {43},
pages = {1391 - 1399},
abstract = {Human adults conceive of one another as beings with minds, and attribute to one another mental states like perceptions, desires and beliefs. That is, we understand other people using a ‘Theory of Mind’. The current study investigated the contributions of four brain regions to Theory of Mind reasoning. The right temporo-parietal junction (RTPJ) was recruited selectively for the attribution of mental states, and not for other socially relevant facts about a person, and the response of the RTPJ was modulated by the congruence or incongruence of multiple relevant facts about the target's mind. None of the other three brain regions commonly implicated in Theory of Mind reasoning – the left temporo-parietal junction (LTPJ), posterior cingulate (PC) and medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) – showed an equally selective profile of response. The implications of these results for an alternative theory of reasoning about other minds – Simulation Theory – are discussed.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Human adults conceive of one another as beings with minds, and attribute to one another mental states like perceptions, desires and beliefs. That is, we understand other people using a ‘Theory of Mind’. The current study investigated the contributions of four brain regions to Theory of Mind reasoning. The right temporo-parietal junction (RTPJ) was recruited selectively for the attribution of mental states, and not for other socially relevant facts about a person, and the response of the RTPJ was modulated by the congruence or incongruence of multiple relevant facts about the target's mind. None of the other three brain regions commonly implicated in Theory of Mind reasoning – the left temporo-parietal junction (LTPJ), posterior cingulate (PC) and medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) – showed an equally selective profile of response. The implications of these results for an alternative theory of reasoning about other minds – Simulation Theory – are discussed.
Saxe, R; Carey, S; Kanwisher, N
Understanding Other Minds: Linking Developmental Psychology and Functional Neuroimaging Journal Article
In: Annual Review of Psychology, vol. 55, pp. 87 - 124, 2004, ISSN: 0066-4308.
@article{33,
title = {Understanding Other Minds: Linking Developmental Psychology and Functional Neuroimaging},
author = {R Saxe and S Carey and N Kanwisher},
url = {http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev.psych.55.090902.142044, Publisher
https://saxelab.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Saxe-R.-Carey-S.-Kanwisher-N.-2004.-Understanding-other-minds-linking-developmental-psychology-and-functional-neuroimaging-Annual-Review-of-Psychology.pdf, PDF
https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=Tv-zquoAAAAJ&citation_for_view=Tv-zquoAAAAJ:d1gkVwhDpl0C, Google Scholar},
doi = {10.1146/annurev.psych.55.090902.142044},
issn = {0066-4308},
year = {2004},
date = {2004-02-01},
urldate = {2004-02-01},
journal = {Annual Review of Psychology},
volume = {55},
pages = {87 - 124},
abstract = {Evidence from developmental psychology suggests that understanding other minds constitutes a special domain of cognition with at least two components: an early-developing system for reasoning about goals, perceptions, and emotions, and a later-developing system for representing the contents of beliefs. Neuroimaging reinforces and elaborates upon this view by providing evidence that (a) domain-specific brain regions exist for representing belief contents, (b) these regions are apparently distinct from other regions engaged in reasoning about goals and actions (suggesting that the two developmental stages reflect the emergence of two distinct systems, rather than the elaboration of a single system), and (c) these regions are distinct from brain regions engaged in inhibitory control and in syntactic processing. The clear neural distinction between these processes is evidence that belief attribution is not dependent on either inhibitory control or syntax, but is subserved by a specialized neural system for theory of mind.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Evidence from developmental psychology suggests that understanding other minds constitutes a special domain of cognition with at least two components: an early-developing system for reasoning about goals, perceptions, and emotions, and a later-developing system for representing the contents of beliefs. Neuroimaging reinforces and elaborates upon this view by providing evidence that (a) domain-specific brain regions exist for representing belief contents, (b) these regions are apparently distinct from other regions engaged in reasoning about goals and actions (suggesting that the two developmental stages reflect the emergence of two distinct systems, rather than the elaboration of a single system), and (c) these regions are distinct from brain regions engaged in inhibitory control and in syntactic processing. The clear neural distinction between these processes is evidence that belief attribution is not dependent on either inhibitory control or syntax, but is subserved by a specialized neural system for theory of mind.
Saxe, R; Xiao, D K; Kovacs, G; Perrett, D I; Kanwisher, N
A region of right posterior superior temporal sulcus responds to observed intentional actions Journal Article
In: Neuropsychologia, vol. 42, pp. 1435 - 1446, 2004, ISSN: 00283932.
@article{184,
title = {A region of right posterior superior temporal sulcus responds to observed intentional actions},
author = {R Saxe and D K Xiao and G Kovacs and D I Perrett and N Kanwisher},
url = {http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0028393204000843, Publisher
https://saxelab.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Saxe-R.-Xiao-D.K.-Kovacs-G.-Perrett-D.I.-Kanwisher-N.-2004.-A-region-of-right-posterior-superior-temporal-sulcus-responds-to-observed-intentional-actions-Neuropsychologia.pdf, PDF
https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=Tv-zquoAAAAJ&citation_for_view=Tv-zquoAAAAJ:UeHWp8X0CEIC, Google Scholar},
doi = {10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2004.04.015},
issn = {00283932},
year = {2004},
date = {2004-01-01},
urldate = {2004-01-01},
journal = {Neuropsychologia},
volume = {42},
pages = {1435 - 1446},
abstract = {
Human adults and infants identify the actions of another agent based not only on its intrinsic perceptual features, but critically on the contingent relationship between its motion path and the environmental context [Trends Cogn. Sci. 7 (1995) 287; Cognition 72 (2003) 237]. Functional neuroimaging studies of the perception of agents and intentional actions, on the other hand, have mostly focussed on the perception of intrinsic cues to agency, like a face or articulated body motion (e.g. [J. Neurosci. 17 (1997) 4302; Neuroimage 8 (1998) 221; Trends Cogn. Sci. 4 (2000) 267; Nat. Neurosci. 3 (2000) 80; Neuroimage 13 (2001) 775; Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 98 (2001) 11656; Neuron 35 (2002) 1167; Neuron 34 (2002) 149, Neuroscience 15 (2003) 991; J. Neurosci. 23 (2003) 6819; Philos. Trans. R Soc. Lond. B. Biol. Sci. 358 (2003) 435]. Here we describe a region of the right posterior superior temporal sulcus that is sensitive not to articulated body motion per se, but to the relationship between the observed motion and the structure of the surrounding environment. From this and other aspects of the region’s response, we hypothesize that this region is involved in the representation of observed intentional actions.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Human adults and infants identify the actions of another agent based not only on its intrinsic perceptual features, but critically on the contingent relationship between its motion path and the environmental context [Trends Cogn. Sci. 7 (1995) 287; Cognition 72 (2003) 237]. Functional neuroimaging studies of the perception of agents and intentional actions, on the other hand, have mostly focussed on the perception of intrinsic cues to agency, like a face or articulated body motion (e.g. [J. Neurosci. 17 (1997) 4302; Neuroimage 8 (1998) 221; Trends Cogn. Sci. 4 (2000) 267; Nat. Neurosci. 3 (2000) 80; Neuroimage 13 (2001) 775; Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 98 (2001) 11656; Neuron 35 (2002) 1167; Neuron 34 (2002) 149, Neuroscience 15 (2003) 991; J. Neurosci. 23 (2003) 6819; Philos. Trans. R Soc. Lond. B. Biol. Sci. 358 (2003) 435]. Here we describe a region of the right posterior superior temporal sulcus that is sensitive not to articulated body motion per se, but to the relationship between the observed motion and the structure of the surrounding environment. From this and other aspects of the region’s response, we hypothesize that this region is involved in the representation of observed intentional actions.
Saxe, R; Kanwisher, N
People thinking about thinking people: The role of the temporo-parietal junction in “theory of mind” Journal Article
In: NeuroImage, vol. 19, pp. 1835 - 1842, 2003, ISSN: 10538119.
@article{34,
title = {People thinking about thinking people: The role of the temporo-parietal junction in “theory of mind”},
author = {R Saxe and N Kanwisher},
url = {http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1053811903002301, Publisher
https://saxelab.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Saxe-R.-Kanwisher-N.-2003.-People-thinking-about-thinking-people-fMRI-studies-of-Theory-of-Mind-Neuroimage.pdf, PDF
https://saxelab.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Saxe-Kanwisher-2003-Stimuli.pdf, Stimuli
},
doi = {10.1016/S1053-8119(03)00230-1},
issn = {10538119},
year = {2003},
date = {2003-08-01},
urldate = {2003-08-01},
journal = {NeuroImage},
volume = {19},
pages = {1835 - 1842},
abstract = {Humans powerfully and flexibly interpret the behaviour of other people based on an understanding of their minds: that is, we use a “theory of mind.” In this study we distinguish theory of mind, which represents another person’s mental states, from a representation of the simple presence of another person per se. The studies reported here establish for the first time that a region in the human temporo-parietal junction (here called the TPJ-M) is involved specifically in reasoning about the contents of another person’s mind. First, the TPJ-M was doubly dissociated from the nearby extrastriate body area (EBA; Downing et al., 2001). Second, the TPJ-M does not respond to false representations in non-social control stories. Third, the BOLD response in the TPJ-M bilaterally was higher when subjects read stories about a character’s mental states, compared with stories that described people in physical detail, which did not differ from stories about nonhuman objects. Thus, the role of the TPJ-M in understanding other people appears to be specific to reasoning about the content of mental states.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Humans powerfully and flexibly interpret the behaviour of other people based on an understanding of their minds: that is, we use a “theory of mind.” In this study we distinguish theory of mind, which represents another person’s mental states, from a representation of the simple presence of another person per se. The studies reported here establish for the first time that a region in the human temporo-parietal junction (here called the TPJ-M) is involved specifically in reasoning about the contents of another person’s mind. First, the TPJ-M was doubly dissociated from the nearby extrastriate body area (EBA; Downing et al., 2001). Second, the TPJ-M does not respond to false representations in non-social control stories. Third, the BOLD response in the TPJ-M bilaterally was higher when subjects read stories about a character’s mental states, compared with stories that described people in physical detail, which did not differ from stories about nonhuman objects. Thus, the role of the TPJ-M in understanding other people appears to be specific to reasoning about the content of mental states.
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