Selling through "reflections": mirror neurons and anthropomorphic advertisements.

Abstract

It is well recognized that the brain is uniquely tuned to detect ani- macy automatically and that human infants start demonstrating this ability to preferentially track moving objects very early in life. By 18 months, a human child probably knows about 'mental states' (Pineda, 2005). Serendipitous discovery in this regard, of special kind of neu- rons in the F5 sector of the ventral premotor cortex (Rizzolatti, Lup- pino, & Matelli, 1988) of macaque monkeys, led to newer insights into the phenomenon. They have been termed the mirror neurons and they form a network involved in the automatic understanding of the motor acts performed by others (Rizzolatti, Luppino, & Matelli, 1988). � Refineddatapointtowardsanextremelycomplexfunction� of this system. Two main cortical networks with mirror properties have been described in humans: the parieto-frontal mirror system involved in recognition of voluntary behavior, and limbic mirror system in recognition of affective behaviour (Cattaneo & Rizzolatti, 2009). It has been reported that observation of motor acts performed by others causes 'subliminal motor activation' (Fadiga, Craighero, & Olivier, 2005) in respective cortical areas in observer's brain, in a way as if she is actually involved in the task, without inducing obvious movements. Called the "simulation theory", it assumes that this ability enables the observer to "experience" sensations, movements and emotions associated with others' acts as if they were her own (Cattaneo & Rizzolatti, 2009). It has been hypothesised that this mirror neurons system is essential to the successful organization and functioning of human society; for ability to attribute mental states to others and predict their intentions and for "having a theory of mind" (ToM) (Cattaneo & Rizzolatti, 2009).This system has also been shown to facilitate 'learning by imitation', with an increase in the plasticity of the motor cortex (Catmur, Walsh, & Heyes, 2007) for such tasks. they are projected as being successful, happy or complacent. While watching these, viewer feels "as if" she is a part of the scene, with her motor cortex activated in a fashion which simulates her experiencing the phenomenon. Associated pleasures (soothing music, beautiful depiction of nature, feeling of bliss or being successful) are transmitted across media interface and are then integrated, perhaps unconsciously, with the product. Thus she "realizes" how beautiful life would be if she had the product, and repeated realizations on her part strengthens this association through Pavlovian learning and probably through modulation in brain plasticity. Gradually, product becomes an integral part of her daily well-being, and she decides to buy it. Thus the point is made, and the product is sold.