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SUMMARY:Mechanisms of imitation: insights from typical and autistic cognit
 ion - Dr Antonia Hamilton\, Reader in Social Neuroscience\, Institute of C
 ognitive Neuroscience\, University College London
DTSTART:20150522T140000Z
DTEND:20150522T153000Z
UID:TALK57777@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Louise White
DESCRIPTION:Imitation is a ubiquitous human behaviour which provides a use
 ful model of nonverbal social interaction.  Though imitation is easy to re
 cognise\, the cognitive processes underlying it are very complex.  Here I 
 describe studies of when and why people chose to copy some actions but not
  others.  This includes studies of children\, adults and people with autis
 m.  I make a key distinction between imitation of action goals (emulation)
  and imitation of action forms (mimicry)\, and suggest that there are diff
 erent cognitive and neural mechanisms involved in each.  In particular\, m
 imicry seems to be strongly driven by social demands and controlled by bra
 in regions linked to social cognition.  I present a neurocognitive model w
 hich can account for these findings.  Finally\, I will present new data on
  how people imitate and recognise imitation in virtual reality\, and will 
 consider how human-avatar interactions can help in the study of social neu
 roscience.\n\n 
LOCATION:Ground Floor Lecture Theatre\, Department of Psychology
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