Mind-Brain Lecture: Idalmis Santiesteban (Cambridge)
To develop and maintain the long-lasting social
relationships crucial for our well-being, we must be able
not only to connect or identify with others, but also to
differentiate our own thoughts and feelings from those of
our interaction partners. This process of ‘self-other
distinction’ is important for a number of socio-cognitive
abilities such as the control of imitation, visual
perspective taking and theory of mind. My research
investigates the extent to which mechanisms underlying
self-other processes are shared or differ across various
social abilities. In this talk, I will present some of our
recent findings from studies aiming to address this research
question using a range of methodologies such as behavioural
training, cross-cultural manipulations and non-invasive
brain stimulation. I will argue that adopting a wider
approach to the investigation of self-other processes
contributes towards a better understanding of the mechanisms
underlying socio-cognitive abilities.
