부산대학교 도서관

Mirror neurons were accidentally discovered during research on the activity of nerve cells which was conducted by a team of Italian scientists in Parma. They observed that certain brain cells were activated when an animal performed a given activity but also when it observed a similar activity performed someone else. The following discovery of mirror neurons in human brain initiated a wave of experimental research which confirmed that mirror nerve cells are responsible for understanding the mental state of other humans. This process is much more complicated and important from an evolutionary point view than it might initially seem. The activity of mirror neurons is noticeable in everyday life, during all interactions with other living beings. This is exhibited through mirroring -- the reflec- tion of emotional and epistemic mental states of others based on their behavior. We present the activities of mirror neurons and the theoretical framework of research. Finally, we discuss the results of neurological studies which have made it possible to locate and define in detail the role of the mirror neuron sys- tem in the human brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]