Associative (not Hebbian) learning and the mirror neuron system

NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS

卷:540

Review

Cooper, Richard P.¹  Cook, Richard²  Dickinson, Anthony³  Heyes, Cecilia M.^4,5 

[1] Univ London, Dept Psychol Sci, London WC1E 7HX, England

[2] City Univ London, Dept Psychol, London EC1V 0HB, England

[3] Univ Cambridge, Dept Expt Psychol, Cambridge CB2 1TN, England

[4] Univ Oxford, All Souls Coll, Oxford OX1 2JD, England

[5] Univ Oxford, Dept Expt Psychol, Oxford OX1 2JD, England

关键词: Automatic imitation;    Associative learning;    Hebbian learning;    Mirror neuron system;    Interactive activation;    Computational model;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.neulet.2012.10.002

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

The associative sequence learning (ASL) hypothesis suggests that sensorimotor experience plays an inductive role in the development of the mirror neuron system, and that it can play this crucial role because its effects are mediated by learning that is sensitive to both contingency and contiguity. The Hebbian hypothesis proposes that sensorimotor experience plays a facilitative role, and that its effects are mediated by learning that is sensitive only to contiguity. We tested the associative and Hebbian accounts by computational modelling of automatic imitation data indicating that MNS responsivity is reduced more by contingent and signalled than by non-contingent sensorimotor training (Cook et al. [7]). Supporting the associative account, we found that the reduction in automatic imitation could be reproduced by an existing interactive activation model of imitative compatibility when augmented with Rescorla-Wagner learning, but not with Hebbian or quasi-Hebbian learning. The work argues for an associative, but against a Hebbian, account of the effect of sensorimotor training on automatic imitation. We argue, by extension, that associative learning is potentially sufficient for MNS development. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

【 授权许可】

Free