Article
Psychiatry
Selima Jelili, Soumeyya Halayem, Olfa Rajhi, Zeineb Abbes, Hajer Ben Mansour, Sami Ouanes, Amal Taamallah, Selima Ennaifer, Houda Ben Yahia, Melek Ghazzei, Ahmed Nabli, Malek Hajri, Radhouane Fakhfakh, Ali Mrabet, Asma Bouden
Summary: This study examined the Theory of Mind (ToM) performance in Arabic-speaking verbal children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and compared them to neurotypical controls. The findings showed impairments in ToM in children with ASD, particularly in affective and advanced ToM. Future studies could focus on identifying the most impaired subdomains and developing specific tools to target these specific impairments.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Candida C. Peterson, Henry M. Wellman
Summary: The study found that selfless altruism was common in both autistic and non-autistic children and significantly predicted by theory of mind. Hypocrisy, on the other hand, showed more individual differences, with no significant correlation between ToM and hypocrisy in autistic children.
DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Sara Isernia, Sarah E. E. MacPherson, R. Asaad Baksh, Niels Bergsland, Antonella Marchetti, Francesca Baglio, Davide Massaro
Summary: This study translated and adapted the ESCoT social cognition assessment tool for an adult Italian population and demonstrated its reliability and validity in evaluating social cognition. Results showed the ESCoT total score was associated with age, and the subscore for intrapersonal social norm understanding was associated with education.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Neurosciences
David Kemmerer
Summary: Observing an agent perform an action can trigger a motor simulation in the Mirror Neuron System of the observer, which is modulated by various factors. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive survey of 22 distinct factors influencing the MNS during action observation, and to consider the implications of these factors on four theoretical models of the MNS. The assessments suggest that existing models are supported by some findings but challenged by others, highlighting the need for a more comprehensive model to account for all identified modulatory factors.
PROGRESS IN NEUROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Sadjad Sadeghi, Stephanie N. L. Schmidt, Daniela Mier, Joachim Hass
Summary: This study used dynamic causal modeling (DCM) to determine the effective connectivity of the human mirror neuron system (MNS) during different social cognition tasks. The results showed that there were effective connections from the superior temporal sulcus (STS) to the inferior parietal lobule (IPL) and Brodmann area 44 (BA44) in all social cognition processes. Additional mutual connections were found in the imitation task.
SOCIAL COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Education, Special
Estefania Loza, Frederique Amsellem, Tiziana Zalla, Ariane Cartigny, Marion Leboyer, Richard Delorme, Franck Ramus, Baudouin Forgeot d'Arc
Summary: Theory of Mind (ToM) is crucial for social adaptation, but a ToM deficit may exist in individuals with autism. To investigate the impact of ToM reasoning on problem solving, autistic and non-autistic children and adults were compared in a referential communication task with social and non-social framings. Non-autistic participants experienced greater difficulty when the task was framed socially, while autistic participants showed better performance in the social task and consistent performance across framings. This suggests that autistic individuals may have employed a more efficient general rule based on social instructions. These findings highlight the distinction between ToM understanding and the continuous use of a ToM strategy in repeated situations.
RESEARCH IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Tiffany L. Hutchins, Laura Lewis, Patricia A. Prelock, Ashley Brien
Summary: The development of a new self-report measure, ToMI:SR-Adult, for social cognition in adults was successfully validated through a study involving individuals with autism and typically developing adults. Both quantitative and qualitative data confirmed the tool's reliability and validity, showing high levels of self-insight among the adult participants.
JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Johan Isaksson, Janina Neufeld, Sven Bolte
Summary: The study found weak central coherence and lower IQ were associated with reduced Theory of Mind (ToM) ability, while female sex and older age were related to higher ToM ability. The association between executive functioning (EF) and ToM was not significant. Within-pair analyses indicated that unmeasured familial factors influenced the associations between central coherence (CC), IQ, and ToM.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Derry Taylor, Gokhan Gonul, Cameron Alexander, Klaus Zueberbuehler, Fabrice Clement, Hans-Johann Glock
Summary: Understanding the origins of human social cognition is a central challenge in contemporary science. The 'Theory of Mind' (ToM) has been the most popular explanation for human social cognition, but recent research on 'implicit' ToM has questioned its validity. Our article introduces 'script theory' as a new theoretical framework to overcome the limitations of ToM-based frameworks and provide a plausible account of how individuals make sense of others' behavior.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Erin J. Libsack, Elizabeth Trimber, Kathryn M. Hauschild, Greg Hajcak, James C. McPartland, Matthew D. Lerner
Summary: Impairments in theory of mind among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are highly heterogeneous, with factors such as the late positive complex (LPC) potentially explaining differences in ToM performance.
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Esra Zivrali Yarar, Patricia Howlin, Rebecca Charlton, Francesca Happe
Summary: This study found that age does not impact Theory of Mind performance in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and empathy difficulties appear to be more associated with alexithymia than with ASD itself. Possible age-protective effects on ToM in the ASD group were suggested, and future directions for autism aging research were proposed.
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Firat Soylu, Kaitlyn May, Rajesh Kana
Summary: This study investigated white matter volume and gray matter volume differences between autistic and nonautistic samples, and their relationships with age and theory of mind (ToM) skills. The results showed widespread differences in both gray and white matter volumes between the two groups in regions crucial for social processes. The autistic group exhibited different correlations between age and structural changes compared to the nonautistic group, suggesting abnormalities in developmental structural changes. Additionally, differences were found in how gray and white matter volumes relate to ToM skills, particularly in the left frontal regions and cingulate/corpus callosum, respectively. The left insula was identified as a crucial region distinguishing ToM performance between the two groups.
BRAIN STRUCTURE & FUNCTION
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Ruud Hortensius, Michaela Kent, Kohinoor M. Darda, Laura Jastrzab, Kami Koldewyn, Richard Ramsey, Emily S. Cross
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between anthropomorphism and theory-of-mind, finding that while these two concepts may overlap in certain situations, they remain separate at the personality level.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Simge Uzman Ozbek, Ekin Sut, Emre Bora
Summary: This study compared group differences in social and non-social cognition in individuals with ASD and schizophrenia and examined the impact of age and other factors on these differences. The findings showed that schizophrenia was associated with more severe impairments in non-social cognition, while ASD was associated with more severe impairments in social cognition. The pattern and developmental trajectories of these deficits differed between the two disorders and were also influenced by age and other factors.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Rachal R. Hegde, Synthia Guimond, Deepthi Bannai, Victor Zeng, Shezal Padani, Shaun M. Eack, Matcheri S. Keshavan
Summary: This study validated the False Belief task as a measure of Theory of Mind in schizophrenia and found that individuals with schizophrenia exhibited reduced brain activation in the bilateral TPJ during the task, which was positively associated with ToM abilities. Lower neural activity in the bilateral TPJ was associated with ToM impairments observed in individuals with early course schizophrenia.
JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Paola Pinti, Andrea Devoto, Isobel Greenhalgh, Ilias Tachtsidis, Paul W. Burgess, Antonia F. de C. Hamilton
Summary: The study explores the role of the anterior prefrontal cortex in face-to-face deception and finds that this area is activated during both lying and lie detection processes, independent of reward. Analysis of cross-brain activation patterns reveals synchronization between the lead player's brain activity and their partner's later brain activity. This suggests that during close interpersonal interactions, the anterior prefrontal cortex supports processes involved in deception.
SOCIAL COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biophysics
Harry Farmer, Antonio Cataldo, Nagela Adel, Emma Wignall, Vittorio Gallese, Ophelia Deroy, Antonia Hamilton, Anna Ciaunica
Summary: The study found that individuals with high levels of depersonalization showed an increased overall VRT effect but no self-face bias, instead exhibiting a greater VRT effect when observing another person's face. Furthermore, across all participants, self-bias was negatively associated with anomalous body experiences. These results suggest disrupted integration of tactile and visual representations of the bodily self in individuals experiencing high levels of depersonalization, contributing to a better understanding of how disruptions in multisensory perception of the self may underlie the phenomenology of depersonalization.
MULTISENSORY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
James Crum, Xian Zhang, Adam Noah, Antonia Hamilton, Ilias Tachtsidis, Paul W. Burgess, Joy Hirsch
Summary: This study developed a paradigm to fractionate the major components of human-to-human verbal interactions occurring in clinical situations and used functional near-infrared spectroscopy to assess the brain systems underlying clinician-client discourse. The results showed significantly greater cross-brain neural coupling between people during clinical interactions compared with everyday life verbal communication.
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY-COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Uzair Hakim, Paola Pinti, Adam J. Noah, Xian Zhang, Paul Burgess, Antonia Hamilton, Joy Hirsch, Ilias Tachtsidis
Summary: In this study, a new hemodynamic signal (HPC) was developed to combine HbO(2) and HHb for localization of functional activation. The HPC signal showed comparable accuracy to HHb and was more robust against false positives.
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Lauren E. Marsh, Joanna Gil, Patricia Kanngiesser
Summary: This study evaluates the influence of collaboration on the IKEA effect and finds that children in both the UK and India value their own creations over identical copies, regardless of whether they collaborated or worked independently. The IKEA effect is a potent bias that is present in diverse societies and is insensitive to others' contributions in a collaborative environment.
DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Psychology, Mathematical
Roser Canigueral, Sujatha Krishnan-Barman, Antonia F. de C. Hamilton
Summary: This article introduces the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying social interactions at the single- and two-brain level using social signalling. It demonstrates how subtle manipulations of being watched can dissect meaningful social signals, and suggests that linking neural activity to specific social signals is crucial for understanding face-to-face interactions.
PSYCHONOMIC BULLETIN & REVIEW
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Cybernetics
Nadine Aburumman, Marco Gillies, Jamie A. Ward, Antonia F. de C. Hamilton
Summary: Nonverbal communication, specifically head nodding behaviors, plays a crucial role in human communication. This research demonstrates that virtual humans who mimic realistic head nodding patterns are more liked and trusted by participants, highlighting the importance of incorporating this element into virtual interactions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN-COMPUTER STUDIES
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Paul W. Burgess, James Crum, Paola Pinti, Clarisse Aichelburg, Dominic Oliver, Frida Lind, Sarah Power, Elizabeth Swingler, Uzair Hakim, Arcangelo Merla, Sam Gilbert, Ilias Tachtsidis, Antonia Hamilton
Summary: Activation of rostral PFC during prospective memory tasks can be attributed to monitoring of the environment, spontaneous intention retrieval, or a combination of the two. This study found widespread activation in medial and right hemisphere rostral prefrontal cortex when individuals maintained both social and non-social intentions, with increased activation in lateral prefrontal cortex during social intentions. The spatial and temporal distribution of functional events in BA 10 suggests a specific role in prospective memory tasks.
Editorial Material
Biology
Antonia F. de C. Hamilton, Judith Holler
Summary: Face-to-face interaction is fundamental to human sociality and its evolution, serving as the primary context for communication. To fully understand the complexities of this interaction, a multi-disciplinary and multi-level approach is necessary. This special issue presents a diverse range of approaches, combining detailed studies of naturalistic social behavior with broader analyses and investigations into the cognitive and neural processes underlying our observed behavior. The aim is to generate new paradigms and comprehensive insights into how we interact with others and with artificial agents, the impact of psychological profiles on interaction, and the development and evolution of social interaction in humans and other species.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Yanke Sun, Dwaynica A. Greaves, Guido Orgs, Antonia F. de C. Hamilton, Sally Day, Jamie A. Ward
Summary: Studying social interaction in real-world settings is important to social cognitive researchers. Theatre provides an ideal opportunity to study interpersonal synchrony. The study collaborated with Flute Theatre to investigate synchrony between actors-actors, actors-audience and audience-audience within a live theatrical setting. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) were used to measure synchrony, and findings showed that XWT and WCT analysis are useful methods in extracting synchronous activity during live performances.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACM ON INTERACTIVE MOBILE WEARABLE AND UBIQUITOUS TECHNOLOGIES-IMWUT
(2023)
Proceedings Paper
Computer Science, Cybernetics
Maria Bell, Elise Robinson, Thomas J. Gilbert, Sally Day, Antonia F. De C. Hamilton, Jamie A. Ward
Summary: Autism is a diverse neurodevelopmental condition, and wearable technology plays an important role in further research. Factors such as sensory factors and emotional dysregulation should be taken into account when designing wearable devices for autism, and a period of sensor desensitization is necessary during use.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2022 ACM INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON WEARABLE COMPUTERS, ISWC 2022
(2022)
Proceedings Paper
Computer Science, Cybernetics
Thomas J. Gilbert, Sally Day, Antonia F. de C. Hamilton, Jamie A. Ward
Summary: This paper presents a novel method to synchronise multiple IMU devices using their onboard magnetometers. By creating a known event using an external electromagnetic pulse and utilizing the magnetometer measurements, the devices can be synchronised effectively. Experimental results show a significant decrease in desynchronisation time for the IMU devices.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2022 ACM INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON WEARABLE COMPUTERS, ISWC 2022
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Dwaynica A. Greaves, Paola Pinti, Sara Din, Robert Hickson, Mingyi Diao, Charlotte Lange, Priyasha Khurana, Kelly Hunter, Ilias Tachtsidis, Antonia F. de C. Hamilton
Summary: This study utilized wearable brain imaging technology and wavelet coherence analysis to investigate the effects of taking on a role on an actor's sense of self and interpersonal coordination in real-world environments. The findings suggest that an actor's response to their own name is suppressed during rehearsal and that interpersonal synchrony can be measured across different modalities simultaneously.
JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Experimental
Harry Farmer, Raqeeb Mahmood, Samantha E. A. Gregory, Polina Tishina, Antonia F. de C. Hamilton
Summary: The study investigated the impact of dynamic emotional stimuli on participants' tendency to imitate a target's actions. While a compatibility effect was reliably elicited, there was no significant moderating effect of emotional expressions. Findings suggest that the effect of emotional expressions on automatic imitation may be minimal.
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Roser Canigueral, Jamie A. Ward, Antonia F. de C. Hamilton
Summary: This study investigated the eye gaze and facial expressions of typical and high-functioning autistic individuals in various social contexts. The findings suggest that high-functioning autistic individuals are able to use eye gaze and facial expressions as social signals.
Article
Neurosciences
Jose Sanchez-Bornot, Roberto C. Sotero, J. A. Scott Kelso, Ozguer Simsek, Damien Coyle
Summary: This study proposes a multi-penalized state-space model for analyzing unobserved dynamics, using a data-driven regularization method. Novel algorithms are developed to solve the model, and a cross-validation method is introduced to evaluate regularization parameters. The effectiveness of this method is validated through simulations and real data analysis, enabling a more accurate exploration of cognitive brain functions.
