Mirror Neurons and the Action Theory of Language Origins

The research reported here attempts to understand how language may have originated from sensori-motor competences. Recently the observation of mirror neurons [1] has lead to the suggestion that there is not only a rich representation of motor action but also that this representation is used for multiple purposes: action execution, action planning, action imaging, and action recognition. Of particular importance is the observation that one agent can recognise an action plan of another one and that the same neurons are involved.