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What neuroimaging and perceptions of self-other similarity can tell us about the mechanism underlying mentalizing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 April 2009

Michael V. Lombardo
Affiliation:
Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 8AH, United Kingdom. ml437@cam.ac.ukbhisma@cantab.netsb205@cam.ac.ukhttp://www.autismresearchcentre.com
Bhismadev Chakrabarti
Affiliation:
Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 8AH, United Kingdom. ml437@cam.ac.ukbhisma@cantab.netsb205@cam.ac.ukhttp://www.autismresearchcentre.com
Simon Baron-Cohen
Affiliation:
Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 8AH, United Kingdom. ml437@cam.ac.ukbhisma@cantab.netsb205@cam.ac.ukhttp://www.autismresearchcentre.com

Abstract

Carruthers' “mindreading is prior” model postulates one unitary mindreading mechanism working identically for self and other. While we agree about shared mindreading mechanisms, there is also evidence from neuroimaging and mentalizing about dissimilar others that suggest factors that differentially affect self-versus-other mentalizing. Such dissociations suggest greater complexity than the mindreading is prior model allows.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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