Psychology2016

80 CHAPTER 2

Buccino et al., 2004; Iacoboni et al., 1999). However, single-cell and multicell recordings

in humans have demonstrated that neurons with mirroring functions are found not only

in motor regions but also in parts of the brain involved in vision and memory, suggesting

such neurons provide much more information than previously thought about our own

actions as compared to the actions of others (Mukamel et al., 2010). These findings may

have particular relevance for better understanding or treating specific clinical conditions

that are believed to involve a faulty mirror system in the brain, such as autism (Oberman

& Ramachandran, 2007; Rizzolatti et al., 2009). to Learning Objective 8.7.

The Association Areas of the Cortex

2.13 Name the parts of the cortex that are responsible for higher forms of

thought, such as language.

You’ve mentioned association cortex a few times. Do the other

lobes of the brain contain association cortex as well?

Association areas are made up of neurons in the cortex that are devoted to making con-

nections between the sensory information coming into the brain and stored memories,

images, and knowledge. In other words, association areas help people make sense of the

incoming sensory input. Although association areas in the occipital and temporal lobes

Figure 2.15 The Motor and Somatosensory Cortex

The motor cortex in the frontal lobe controls the voluntary muscles of the body. Cells at the top of the motor

cortex control muscles at the bottom of the body, whereas cells at the bottom of the motor cortex control

muscles at the top of the body. Body parts are drawn larger or smaller according to the number of cortical

cells devoted to that body part. For example, the hand has many small muscles and requires a larger area of

cortical cells to control it. The somatosensory cortex, located in the parietal lobe just behind the motor cortex,

is organized in much the same manner and receives information about the sense of touch and body position.

As this boy imitates the motions his father
goes through while shaving, certain areas of
his brain are more active than others, areas
that control the motions of shaving. But
even if the boy were only watching his father,
those same neural areas would be active—
the neurons in the boy’s brain would mirror
the actions of the father he is observing.

association areas
areas within each lobe of the cortex
responsible for the coordination and
interpretation of information, as well
as higher mental processing.

ArmShoulderTrunkHip

Knee

Toes

Fingers Hand WElbowrist

Thumb

Neck

Brow

Eye

Face

Lips

Jaw

Tongue

Swallowing

Motor cortex Somatosensory cortex

Genitals

Leg

ArmHeadNeckTrunkHip

ForearmElbow

FingersHand

Thumb

NoseEye

Face

Lips

Teeth

Gums

Jaw

Tongue

Intra-abdominalPharynx

central sulcus