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Korean Journal of Psychology: General

The Neural Bases of Theory of Mind

Korean Journal of Psychology: General / Korean Journal of Psychology: General, (P)1229-067X; (E)2734-1127
2007, v.26 no.2, pp.39-62




Abstract

Theory of mind (ToM) refers to the knowledge about the mind that we have mental states―such as intention, desire and belief―and our mental states cause our action is recognized as theory of mind. A person with theory of mind comes to read people’s actions in terms of their mental states, that is, mindreading. In this review, we summarize recent work that has illuminated the neural bases of mindreading. Lesion studies has suggested that damage to brain areas such as right hemisphere, orbitofrontal cortex, amygdala were correlated with ToM deficits. Neuroimaging studies of normal adults have consistently demonstrated the importance of particular brain regions for ToM, the superior temporal sulcus (STS), temporal pole (TP) and the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC). Findings from brain imaging and lesion studies indicate that ToM ability is supported by a widely distributed neural system. The theoretical importance of ToM for everyday life requires further studies in more various populations.

keywords
마음이론, 뇌 영상 연구, 내측 전전두피질, 상측두구, 측두극, Theory of Mind, brain imaging study, medial prefrontal cortex, superior temporal sulcus, temporal pole

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Korean Journal of Psychology: General