Inferring subjective states through the observation of actions |
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| Authors: | D Patel S M Fleming J M Kilner |
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| Institution: | 1Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, IoN, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK;2Center for Neural Science, New York University, 4 Washington Place, NY 10003, USA;3Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3UD, UK |
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| Abstract: | Estimating another person''s subjective confidence is crucial for social interaction, but how this inference is achieved is unknown. Previous research has demonstrated that the speed at which people make decisions is correlated with their confidence in their decision. Here, we show that (i) subjects are able to infer the subjective confidence of another person simply through the observation of their actions and (ii) this inference is dependent upon the performance of each subject when executing the action. Crucially, the latter result supports a model in which motor simulation of an observed action mediates the successful understanding of other minds. We conclude that kinematic understanding allows access to the higher-order cognitive processes of others, and that this access plays a central role in social interactions. |
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| Keywords: | inference kinematics action observation |
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