Abstract
The ability to evaluate others’ errors makes it possible to learn from their mistakes without the need for first-hand trial-and-error experiences. Here, we compared functional magnetic resonance imaging activation to self-committed errors during a computer game to a variety of errors committed by others during movie clips (e.g., figure skaters falling down and persons behaving inappropriately). While viewing errors by others there was activation in lateral and medial temporal lobe structures, posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus, and medial prefrontal cortex possibly reflecting simulation and storing for future use alternative action sequences that could have led to successful behaviors. During both self- and other-committed errors activation was seen in the striatum, temporoparietal junction, and inferior frontal gyrus. These areas may be components of a generic error processing mechanism. The ecological validity of the stimuli seemed to matter, since we largely failed to see activations when subjects observed errors by another player in the computer game, as opposed to observing errors in the rich real-life like human behaviors depicted in the movie clips.
Highlights
The ability to evaluate others’ errors makes it possible to learn from their mistakes without the need for first-hand trial-and-error experiences
In Experiment 1, significant activation was observed in multiple brain areas following self-committed errors in the computer game, as compared with successful trials
In the third condition of Experiment 1, where the subjects passively viewed errors committed by others in the short movie clips, there were multiple brain regions that exhibited significant responses to errors
Summary
The ability to evaluate others’ errors makes it possible to learn from their mistakes without the need for first-hand trial-and-error experiences. While viewing errors by others there was activation in lateral and medial temporal lobe structures, posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus, and medial prefrontal cortex possibly reflecting simulation and storing for future use alternative action sequences that could have led to successful behaviors During both self- and other-committed errors activation was seen in the striatum, temporoparietal junction, and inferior frontal gyrus. The concept that a set of neurons can play a role both in monitoring one’s own actions and those of others stems from the discovery of ‘mirror neurons’, i.e., motor-cortical neurons that fire both when an animal executes an action and perceives similar actions performed by others[15] Supporting such “mirroring” hypothesis, previous studies demonstrate that observing errors by another person engaged in non-naturalistic experimental tasks produces a similar but lower amplitude www.nature.com/scientificreports/. Error-related striatal responses were observed during active first-person play of a tank-shooting computer game and not during passive viewing of a record of game play[23], suggesting differences between neural mechanisms that support processing of one’s own errors and those committed by others
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