New studies have provided the first direct evidence for the existence of mirror neurons in humans. In these studies, researchers temporarily implanted electrodes in the brains of epileptic patients as part of their preparation for surgery. Researchers recorded the activity of individual neurons while the patients performed simple actions, such as grasping a cup and making facial expressions. Then the researchers recorded neuron activity while the patients simply viewed short video clips and photographs of others executing the same actions. What was one result of these studies?
A) All neurons were only activated by the performance of a behavior.
B) All neurons were only activated by the observation of a behavior.
C) Some neurons were activated by both the performance and the observation of a behavior.
D) These simple behaviors do not activate neurons in the human brain.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The studies provided direct evidence for the existence of mirror neurons in humans by recording neuron activity while the patient performed actions and then while the patient viewed videos or photographs of the same actions. Some neurons were found to be activated by both the performance and observation of the behavior, indicating the presence of mirror neurons in humans. Therefore, both A and B are incorrect, and D is also incorrect as the study showed that these simple behaviors do activate neurons in the human brain.

New Studies Have Provided the First Direct Evidence for the Existence