The link between perception and action in early infancy: From the viewpoint of the direct‐matching hypothesis

Abstract

AbstractThe ability to understand the actions of others is crucial for all social species. Recent electrophysiological and neuroimaging studies indicate that understanding the actions of others is mediated by the mirror neuron system (MNS), in which an observed action is mapped onto the observer's own motor representation of that action. Although there has been considerable progress in elucidating the mechanisms and functions of the direct‐matching process, we still know little about its developmental aspects. In this article, we first provide a brief overview of the functions of the direct‐matching process in the MNS. Next, we review the neurophysiological and behavioral evidence for the developmental aspects of the direct‐matching process, indicating that it is already functional at least by the age of 6 months, and that perception and action are mutually influenced and directly linked in early infancy. Finally, we discuss the unresolved questions about the onset of the direct‐matching process and suggest directions for future research.