Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
CMRR, Inserm U1171, Lille, France.
Brain Topogr. 2019 Nov;32(6):943-955. doi: 10.1007/s10548-019-00737-5. Epub 2019 Nov 1.
Being able to discriminate between what originates from ourselves and what originates from others is critical for efficient interactions with our social environment. However, it remains an open question whether self-other distinction is a domain-general mechanism that is involved in various social-cognitive functions or whether specific 'self-other distinction mechanisms' exist for each of these functions. On the neural level, there is evidence that self-other distinction is related to a specific brain region at the border of the superior temporal and inferior parietal cortex, the temporoparietal junction (TPJ). Demonstrating that the TPJ plays a role in social processes that require self-other distinction would support the idea of a domain-general mechanism of self-other distinction. In the present paper, we review evidence coming from clinical observations, neuroimaging experiments and a meta-analysis indicating the involvement of the TPJ in various cognitive operations requiring self-other distinction. At the perceptual level, we discuss the human ability to identify one's own body and to distinguish it from others. At the action level, we review research on the human ability to experience agency and the control of imitative response tendencies. Finally, at the mental-state level, we discuss the ability to attribute mental states to others. Based on this integrative review, we suggest that the TPJ, and in particular its dorsal part, supports a domain general ability to enhance task-relevant representations when self-related and other-related representations are in conflict. Finally, this conception allows us to propose a unifying architecture for the emergence of numerous socio-cognitive abilities.
能够区分自我和他人的来源对于与我们的社会环境进行高效互动至关重要。然而，自我与他人的区分是一种涉及各种社会认知功能的通用机制，还是每种功能都存在特定的“自我与他人区分机制”，这仍然是一个悬而未决的问题。在神经水平上，有证据表明，自我与他人的区分与颞顶联合区（TPJ）位于颞上和下顶叶皮层交界处的特定脑区有关。证明 TPJ 在需要自我与他人区分的社会过程中发挥作用，将支持自我与他人区分的通用机制的观点。在本文中，我们回顾了来自临床观察、神经影像学实验和荟萃分析的证据，这些证据表明 TPJ 参与了各种需要自我与他人区分的认知操作。在感知层面，我们讨论了人类识别自己的身体并将其与他人区分开来的能力。在行动层面，我们回顾了关于人类体验能动性和模仿反应倾向控制的研究。最后，在心理状态层面，我们讨论了归因于他人心理状态的能力。基于这种综合回顾，我们认为 TPJ，特别是其背侧部分，支持一种通用的能力，即在自我相关和他人相关的表示发生冲突时，增强任务相关的表示。最后，这种构想使我们能够为众多社会认知能力的出现提出一个统一的架构。
