How we read each other's minds | Rebecca Saxe

Summary

In this talk, Rebecca Saxe explores the intriguing challenge of understanding other people's thoughts, a core issue in cognitive neuroscience. She explains how the human brain, equipped with a specialized region called the Right Temporo-Parietal Junction (Right TPJ), enables us to think about others' beliefs, desires, and intentions. Through examples involving children’s development and moral judgment, she highlights how our ability to grasp other minds evolves. Saxe also delves into how brain differences shape our judgments, offering insights into how tools like TMS can influence moral reasoning, raising important ethical considerations about the power of neuroscience in shaping human behavior.

Takeaways

• 😀 The 'problem of other minds' refers to understanding others' thoughts and beliefs, which is essential in relationships and human interaction.
• 😀 Cognitive neuroscience investigates how we use brain regions to think about others' thoughts, using simple brain cells shared across species.
• 😀 The Right Temporo-Parietal Junction (Right TPJ) is a specialized brain region responsible for thinking about other people's thoughts and beliefs.
• 😀 The process of understanding others' minds develops over time, especially in childhood, with significant changes between ages 3 and 5.
• 😀 Young children, like three-year-olds, often struggle to understand that others can have beliefs different from their own.
• 😀 At age 5, children can understand false beliefs, but it takes longer for them to grasp more complex moral judgments, like right vs. wrong.
• 😀 Adolescents continue to refine the cognitive system and brain network used to interpret others' thoughts, but it isn't fully developed until adulthood.
• 😀 Even as adults, people's ability to interpret others' minds varies, and this can be linked to activity in the Right TPJ.
• 😀 Trans-Cranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) can be used to temporarily disrupt the Right TPJ and alter moral judgments, showing its impact on decision-making.
• 😀 Studies using TMS reveal that the Right TPJ influences moral judgments based on how much people consider others' beliefs, affecting blame and responsibility.
• 😀 The research into the Right TPJ and its role in understanding others' thoughts raises concerns about potential misuse, but the technology’s effects are small and controlled.

Q & A

What is the 'problem of other minds' as discussed in the transcript?

The problem of other minds in this context is not about doubting whether other people have minds (as in philosophy), but rather understanding why it is difficult to know or change what others believe or want, even though we are equipped to do so. The speaker explores how our brains allow us to think about other people's minds and the complexities involved in this process.

How does Rebecca Saxe define the role of the Right Temporo-Parietal Junction (TPJ)?

Rebecca Saxe identifies the Right Temporo-Parietal Junction (TPJ) as a specialized brain region that is crucial for thinking about other people's thoughts. It is activated when we attempt to understand others' beliefs, desires, and perspectives, such as when we read literature or engage in social interactions.

How does the development of this brain region change from childhood to adulthood?

The TPJ system develops gradually over childhood and into adolescence. In children, this brain region is not fully specialized for thinking about other people's thoughts, and it only becomes more specialized as they mature. By early adulthood, the TPJ is highly specialized for understanding others' minds, though individual differences persist.

What experiment does Rebecca Saxe use to show how children understand false beliefs?

Saxe uses the 'false belief task,' where children are asked to predict what a character, Ivan, will do when he returns to find his sandwich moved. A five-year-old correctly predicts Ivan will take his own sandwich, showing they understand that others can have beliefs different from their own. A three-year-old, however, struggles with this concept, explaining Ivan's actions based on their own perspective rather than considering Ivan's belief.

What did the brain scans of children show during the false belief task?

Brain scans of children aged five to eight revealed that while the TPJ was activated, it was not as specialized or fully engaged as in adults. This suggests that even though children use this region to think about others' beliefs, the cognitive and brain systems involved in understanding others' minds are still developing during childhood.

How do people's moral judgments differ in cases of failed attempts to harm versus accidents?

In the case of a failed attempt to harm (where someone tries to harm another but fails), people tend to assign more blame if the person believed they were acting with harmful intent. Conversely, if the person is responsible for an accident (like poisoning someone unknowingly), people tend to assign less blame, even if the outcome is equally harmful.

How does activity in the Right TPJ correlate with moral judgment in the given moral dilemmas?

When people show more activity in the Right TPJ, they tend to consider the person’s belief more carefully, resulting in less blame for an innocent action (such as the accidental poisoning). Conversely, less activity in the TPJ is linked to harsher moral judgments, where the person's intent is not considered as much, leading to greater blame.

What is Trans-Cranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), and how is it used in this research?

Trans-Cranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive technique that uses magnetic pulses to temporarily disrupt the function of specific brain regions. In this research, TMS is applied to the Right TPJ to explore how disrupting this brain area can influence moral judgments, such as reducing the blame assigned in accidental harm scenarios.

What ethical concerns does Rebecca Saxe mention regarding the use of TMS in moral judgment research?

Saxe acknowledges ethical concerns about using TMS to alter moral judgment, particularly in how such techniques could be misused. However, she reassures that the changes induced by TMS are small, and the technology requires consent and awareness. She emphasizes that her research focuses on understanding how the brain processes moral judgments rather than manipulating behavior covertly.

What does Rebecca Saxe hope her research on the Right TPJ and moral judgment will lead to?

Saxe hopes that her research will eventually help us better understand how the brain processes moral judgments, with potential applications in education and improving fairness in moral reasoning. By understanding the development and functioning of the TPJ, she envisions the possibility of cultivating more balanced moral judgments in future generations.