Theory of mind (ToM)--our ability to predict behaviors of others in terms of their underlying intentions--has been thought to be universal and invariant across different cultures. However, several ToM studies conducted outside the Anglo-American cultural or linguistic boundaries have obtained mixed results. To examine the influence of culture/language on neural bases of ToM, we studied 16 American English-speaking monolinguals and 16 Japanese-English bilinguals with second-order false-belief story tasks, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Several neural correlates of ToM including medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) were recruited by both cultural/linguistic groups. However, some other brain areas including inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) were employed in a culture/language-specific manner, during the ToM tasks. These results suggest that the ways in which adults understand ToM are not entirely universal.
Description
ScienceDirect - Brain and Language : Cultural and linguistic influence on neural bases of ‘Theory of Mind’: An fMRI study with Japanese bilinguals
%0 Journal Article
%1 Kobayashi2006210
%A Kobayashi, Chiyoko
%A Glover, Gary H.
%A Temple, Elise
%D 2006
%J Brain and Language
%K ToM between_subjects brain methodology neurosome stimuli
%N 2
%P 210 - 220
%R DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2006.04.013
%T Cultural and linguistic influence on neural bases of `Theory of Mind': An fMRI study with Japanese bilinguals
%U http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6WC0-4K42DGF-2/2/614e469b8825322860aa62e1b2d1e318
%V 98
%X Theory of mind (ToM)--our ability to predict behaviors of others in terms of their underlying intentions--has been thought to be universal and invariant across different cultures. However, several ToM studies conducted outside the Anglo-American cultural or linguistic boundaries have obtained mixed results. To examine the influence of culture/language on neural bases of ToM, we studied 16 American English-speaking monolinguals and 16 Japanese-English bilinguals with second-order false-belief story tasks, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Several neural correlates of ToM including medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) were recruited by both cultural/linguistic groups. However, some other brain areas including inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) were employed in a culture/language-specific manner, during the ToM tasks. These results suggest that the ways in which adults understand ToM are not entirely universal.
@article{Kobayashi2006210,
abstract = {Theory of mind (ToM)--our ability to predict behaviors of others in terms of their underlying intentions--has been thought to be universal and invariant across different cultures. However, several ToM studies conducted outside the Anglo-American cultural or linguistic boundaries have obtained mixed results. To examine the influence of culture/language on neural bases of ToM, we studied 16 American English-speaking monolinguals and 16 Japanese-English bilinguals with second-order false-belief story tasks, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Several neural correlates of ToM including medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) were recruited by both cultural/linguistic groups. However, some other brain areas including inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) were employed in a culture/language-specific manner, during the ToM tasks. These results suggest that the ways in which adults understand ToM are not entirely universal.},
added-at = {2009-11-12T12:36:40.000+0100},
author = {Kobayashi, Chiyoko and Glover, Gary H. and Temple, Elise},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/227167ee4a83e1dc4ef98ea0c42443aca/philoscience},
description = {ScienceDirect - Brain and Language : Cultural and linguistic influence on neural bases of ‘Theory of Mind’: An fMRI study with Japanese bilinguals},
doi = {DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2006.04.013},
interhash = {b9175847531bb07f5ba9835101c90792},
intrahash = {27167ee4a83e1dc4ef98ea0c42443aca},
issn = {0093-934X},
journal = {Brain and Language},
keywords = {ToM between_subjects brain methodology neurosome stimuli},
number = 2,
pages = {210 - 220},
timestamp = {2009-11-12T12:37:49.000+0100},
title = {Cultural and linguistic influence on neural bases of [`]Theory of Mind': An fMRI study with Japanese bilinguals},
url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6WC0-4K42DGF-2/2/614e469b8825322860aa62e1b2d1e318},
volume = 98,
year = 2006
}