The Teacup Experiment: Testing The Mirror Phenomenon
Marco Iacoboni and colleagues (2005), developed an interesting experiment to test the mirror neuron phenomenon, called the Teacup Experiment. The test subjects are shown three video clips involving the same simple action: a hand grasping a teacup. In the first video, there was no context for the action, just the hand and the cup. In the second video, the subjects see a messy table, complete with cookie crumbs and dirty napkins-the aftermath of a tea party, clearly. In the third video, the subjects are shown a neatly organized tabletop, in apparent preparation for the tea party. In all three video clips, a hand reaches in to pick up the teacup. Nothing else happens; the only difference is the context. When the subjects observe the grasping
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Iacoboni hypothesizes that drinking is a much more fundamental intention for us as humans, than is cleaning up. Therefore, evolution has built into our system a stronger response. The conclusion of this experiment is that mirror neurons code not just for actions, but for intentions. What end is the action directed toward? In the absence of context, there is no goal and little firing. When the party is about to begin, the evident goal is to drink the tea, and this elicits a strong response. After the party, the same action would probably be to put the teacup in the dishwasher – to clean up. So there was some firing, but less than before. As everyone knows, cleaning up has to be done, but it’s less enjoyable than consuming the food! These experiments, as well others, give us solid empirical evidence that suggests that our brains are capable of mirroring the deepest aspects of the minds of others-intention (at the fine-grained level of a single brain cell). This process is effortless, or what’s called bottom-up (just knowing), rather than “top down” (having to consciously figure it out). In a “bottom up” process there is no need to draw complex inferences or even think about it. Instead, we use mirror neurons to know. Mirror neurons
Iacoboni hypothesizes that drinking is a much more fundamental intention for us as humans, than is cleaning up. Therefore, evolution has built into our system a stronger response. The conclusion of this experiment is that mirror neurons code not just for actions, but for intentions. What end is the action directed toward? In the absence of context, there is no goal and little firing. When the party is about to begin, the evident goal is to drink the tea, and this elicits a strong response. After the party, the same action would probably be to put the teacup in the dishwasher – to clean up. So there was some firing, but less than before. As everyone knows, cleaning up has to be done, but it’s less enjoyable than consuming the food! These experiments, as well others, give us solid empirical evidence that suggests that our brains are capable of mirroring the deepest aspects of the minds of others-intention (at the fine-grained level of a single brain cell). This process is effortless, or what’s called bottom-up (just knowing), rather than “top down” (having to consciously figure it out). In a “bottom up” process there is no need to draw complex inferences or even think about it. Instead, we use mirror neurons to know. Mirror neurons