Understanding the Two Forms of Visuo-Spatial Perspective Taking: I know what you can see versus I see the world through your eyes
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Glasgow
Department Name: School of Psychology
Abstract
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People |
ORCID iD |
| Klaus Kessler (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Wang H
(2016)
Rhythm makes the world go round: An MEG-TMS study on the role of right TPJ theta oscillations in embodied perspective taking.
in Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior
Seymour RA
(2018)
Oscillatory networks of high-level mental alignment: A perspective-taking MEG study.
in NeuroImage
Seymour RA
(2019)
Dysregulated oscillatory connectivity in the visual system in autism spectrum disorder.
in Brain : a journal of neurology
Seymour RA
(2020)
Reduced auditory steady state responses in autism spectrum disorder.
in Molecular autism
Seymour RA
(2017)
The Detection of Phase Amplitude Coupling during Sensory Processing.
in Frontiers in neuroscience
Seymour R
(2019)
Reduced Auditory Steady State Responses in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Seymour R
(2017)
The Detection of Phase Amplitude Coupling During Sensory Processing
| Description | Our findings suggest that the two levels of perspective taking (VPT-1: "I know what you can- and cannot see", VPT-2: "I know how the world looks like from your viewpoint") are subserved by two very different default mechanisms (Kessler & Rutherford, 2010). While VPT-1 relies on simple judgements about what lies within another's line of sight (LoS), VPT-2 requires the simulation of a body rotation into another's viewpoint (eSR). Recruitment of these mechanisms is general and independent of response modality, i.e. verbal localisations vs. spatially mapped key-presses. Furthermore, both mechanisms generalise in principle across genders and cultures, yet, with systematic variations in relation to social skills and egocentric bias as reported in Kessler et al. (2014) and Kessler and Wang (2012). We found that genders are more different in western culture than in Chinese culture and that Chinese are faster VPT-1 perspective takers and show for VPT-1 an other-oriented bias in contrast to an egocentric bias in Westerners. MEG investigations (Wang et al., subm.) revealed that theta brain oscillations were more strongly modulated in the right temporoparietal junction (TPJ) during eSR and in relation to proprioceptive, embodied as well as cognitive aspects of VPT-2 processing, suggesting TPJ as the locus where the observer's embodied mind is aligned with another's. We have now confirmed this role of right TPJ by means of a further TMS study (Wang et al., 2016) This was corroborated in a further MEG study (Boegels et al., 2014) that employed a live communication game where a speaker broke previously established naming conventions, thus, requiring the listener to engage VPT-2 for explaining the sudden violations. Theta oscillatory effects suggested that perspective taking in TPJ was systematically related to areas processing language, perception, and episodic memory. Finally, revealing the basic mechanisms of VPT allowed for theoretical innovations and computational models documented by 3 publications (Braithwaite et al., 2013; Miyachikov et al., 2014; Pezzulo et al., 2013) and one other paper on the relationship between perspective taking and out-of-body experiences (Kessler & Braithwaite, submitted). In 2018 (Seyomour eta l., 2018) we were able to replicate our finding pinpointing right TPJ as the important network hb and theta as the crucial network code fro perspective taking and further analysed the oscillatory coupling with anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and lateral prefrontal cortex (latPFC), which were also reflecting theta modulations and are generally associated with executive functions. We indeed observed top-down Granger causality from ACC and latPFC to TPJ at low frequencies (peaking in theta), corroborating the notion of executive networks controlling an embodied transformation in TPJ. These results informed current investigations and MEG analysis for comparing autistic individuals with controls using the same paradigm developed for this grant. |
| Exploitation Route | Our findings will guide future research into how humans represent others they interact with. The main conclusion from our research is that humans simulate an alternative embodied self that forms the basis for simulating others, e.g. by imagining the alternative self in annotator's visuo-spatial, cognitive or socio-emotional context. We are currently working on a further theoretical paper that will explicitly state these conjectures making them available for empirical science and philosophy (collaboration with Steven Butterfill at Warwick University, Philosophy department). Additionally, this new theoretical framework will inform research with individuals who are particularly challenged with respect to representing others in social situations, such as people diagnosed with autism. Robert Seymour is a PhD student (started October 2015) who is working on perspective taking and sensory processing in autism. We are currently analysing MEG data for perspective taking in ASD compared to control participants. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Healthcare,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Description | As evidenced by the added entries in outreach activities our findings have impacted on the debate about gender differences in the brain. Our data on culturally mediated gender differences are evidence for learned differences as opposed to inborn, hard-wired differences and therefore help changing existing stereotypes and prejudices. Our reserach has been showcased in BBC Horizon program. In 2016 we have successfully secured a PhD scholarship together with the Birmingham Children's Hospital (BCH) to investigate gender differnces in autism. This research will not only benefit academic outcomes but will feed directly into clinical practice of the Children and Adolescence Mental Health Services (CAMHS at BCH, Prof Ashley Liew). |
| First Year Of Impact | 2014 |
| Sector | Other |
| Impact Types | Societal |
| Description | Aston Laboratory for Immersive Virtual Environments (ALIVE) |
| Amount | £200,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | ALIVE |
| Organisation | The Wolfson Foundation |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2014 |
| End | 12/2015 |
| Description | Cotutelle PhD scholarship with Macquarie University AUS |
| Organisation | Macquarie University |
| Country | Australia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | This is a cotutelle PhD scholarship agreement where the student is spending 1.5 years at Aston University under Prof Kessler's supervision and the subsequent 1.5 years at Macquarie University under the supervision of Prof Blake Johnson and Dr Jon Brock. The topic involves perspective taking and sensory processing in ASD. The Aston part involves MEG measurements with a sensory paradigm and a perspective taking paradigm in individuals diagnosed with ASD (over the age of 16) |
| Collaborator Contribution | At Macquarie teh student will be using the paradigms developed and employed at Aston with a younger sample of children diagnosed with ASD (younger than 16). This will complement teh research conducted at Aston. |
| Impact | The student has just started and we have not yet produced joint publications. However a joint workshop has been organised for the Biomag conference in Seoul (August, 2016). |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | BBC program Horizon appearance |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Our research on embodied perspective taking in relation to gender differences mediated by culture was showcased in theBBC Horizon program on male vs. female brain differences. Request for press releases and comments |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04knbny |
| Description | British Science Festival Press Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Further press coverage (Times article) Increased communication and requests for furthe rinformation |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.britishscienceassociation.org/press-launch-press-releases |
| Description | MULTI-LEVEL ALIGNMENT BETWEEN SELF AND OTHERS: THE BASIS FOR EMPATHY? |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Primary Audience | |
| Results and Impact | I was invited as keynote speaker at the GK Summer School on "Mechanisms underlying Emotions". In my talk I put special emphasis on the MEG findings resulting from this ESRC grant. Abstract: Firstly, I will review our findings on the importance of body posture alignment when perceiving and interacting with conspecifics. While this type of alignment is rather implicit and automatic, it could impact on high level social cognition as suggested by effects of implicit mimicry in social psychology. Together with observations from developmental and comparative psychology, this led us to hypothesise that deliberate alignment in form of perspective taking, which has been proposed as a uniquely human capacity, might still be grounded within representations of the body. Indeed, we repeatedly observed effects of posture congruence on high-level perspective taking (PT), suggesting mental simulation of a body rotation as the underlying mechanism for (literally) "putting ourselves into someone else's shoes". Magnetoencephalography (MEG) data analysis so far revealed oscillatory signatures that converge within the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ), suggesting TPJ as the locus where the observer's embodied mind is aligned with another's. This is further corroborated in a final paradigm, where we observed perspective taking (or mentalizing) during live interactive communication in the MEG. We observed mentalizing/perspective taking in TPJ areas that were co-activated and coupled with areas related to language, perception, and episodic (working) memory. Overall the presentation aims at providing a cross-section of the multiple levels on which humans implicitly or deliberately align themselves with others during social interaction and I hope to discuss with the audience to what extent such alignments might form the basis for empathy. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | |
| Description | Multi-level alignment between self and others |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Primary Audience | |
| Results and Impact | Invited Seminar Speaker at the University of Kent |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | |
| Description | Multi-level alignment between self and others as reflected in behaviour and MEG |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Primary Audience | |
| Results and Impact | Invited Seminar Speaker at the University of East Anglia. The talk was based on the behavioural and MEG findings that resulted form this ESRC grant. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | |
| Description | Talk at Birmingham University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This was a presentation to the Cognitive and Psycholinguistic group at Birmingham University, incl. postgrads and undergrads. This talk was novel as it made connections between eh research outcomes of our ESRC grant and psycholinguistic theory. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Talk at Bristol University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This was a presentation to researchers, postgrads and undergrads at Bristol university about the outcomes of our ESRC research grant. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Times article |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | In this press released our study in Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B was mentioned as evidence for a learned (e.g. culturally mediated) difference between males and females, as opposed to a hard-wired inborn difference. Email contacts within and out-with the scientific community |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/science/article4197155.ece |