The role of the mirror neuron system in social cognition
Mirror neurons are brain cells that fire both when you perform an action and when you watch someone else do it. This system helps us understand other people's actions, intentions, and emotions.
Real World
When you wince watching a footballer take a hard tackle to the knee, your mirror neuron system is firing as though your own knee were hit — sports broadcasters deliberately use close-up slow-motion replays to maximise this visceral viewer response.
Exam Focus
Acknowledge the key limitation: mirror neurons in humans are inferred from brain imaging, not directly observed — this weakens the evidential basis when evaluating.
Evaluation Scaffold
A four-step framework for high-quality evaluation. Use this for 'assess', 'evaluate', and 'to what extent' questions.
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