Mirror neurons and empathy: a truly harmonious duo
Today, talking about mirror neurons and empathy means addressing a central node of contemporary neuroscience, with implications ranging from psychology to communication and neuromarketing.
Few neuroscientific discoveries in the last thirty years have had such a dramatic impact as mirror neurons.
These nerve cells, located in specific areas of the cerebral cortex, have revealed how our brain is predisposed to understand and mirror the actions, emotions and even intentions of others.
It is from this mechanism that the ability to empathise, meaning the ability to tune into someone else’s experience in an immediate and instinctive way, arises.
So, talking about mirror neurons and empathy today means exploring not only the biological foundations of human relationships, but also the effects this knowledge has on language, learning and communication.
This field of study is also important for those involved in neuromarketing, a topic that is central to the upcoming event in October, CERTAMENTE, organised by Ottosunove in collaboration with BrainSigns, during which neuroscientific studies and practical case histories will come together to offer new tools and visions that can be helpful for marketing and communication.
Who discovered mirror neurons?
Mirror neurons were discovered in the 1990s at the University of Parma, thanks to the research group led by Italian neuroscientist Giacomo Rizzolatti.
What is so special about these neurons and how do they differ from all the others that populate our brains?
Mirror neurons can be activated not only when we perform an action, but also when we watch someone else perform it. This property has highlighted a neuro-physiological substrate that explains how humans can understand and learn the actions of others immediately and pre-reflexively.
In addition to mirror neurons, studies have also identified canonical neurons, which are responsible for activating the brain with regard to objects and their potential use.
Let’s try to clarify the difference between mirror neurons and canonical or classical neurons using a brief outline.
Mirror neurons
- Mirror neurons are activated both when you perform an action and when you see someone else perform it.
- E.g.: certain neurons are activated if you pick up a cup, and the same neurons are activated if you watch another person pick up the cup.
- They are used to understand the actions and intentions of others and are related to empathy, language and learning by imitation.
Canonical neurons
- Canonical neurons are activated when you see an object that you can use, even without seeing it in action.
- E.g.: when you look at a cup on the table, canonical neurons are ignited because the brain recognises that that object can be grasped and used.
- They are crucial for linking the perception of objects with the possibility of interacting with them.
In short:
- Mirror neurons reflect the actions and emotions of others.
- Canonical neurons, on the other hand, encode the potential use of objects.
Empathy and mirror neurons
How do we explain the correlation between empathy and mirror neurons?
We have already discussed how this important discovery has provided a solid neurobiological basis for understanding how human beings are able to empathise with others.
These neurons, located in areas such as the premotor and parietal cortex, are activated both when we perform an action ourselves and when we watch another person perform it.
Subsequently, it was found that a similar mechanism affects not only actions, but also emotions: seeing a sad, frightened or happy face activates a similar emotional response in the observer’s brain, as if they were directly experiencing that emotion themselves.
It is in this very mirroring that the link between mirror neurons and empathy lies: the ability to perceive and understand the emotional state of others from within depends not only on a conscious cognitive process, but on an automatic and immediate mechanism.
In other words, our brain internally “simulates” what it observes, allowing us to feel an emotion as if it were our own.
This correlation has fundamental implications: it explains why empathy is universal and cross-cultural, and clarifies how social contact, non-verbal language and emotional communication can profoundly influence individual and collective behaviour.
Empathy and mirror neurons associated with the principles of neuromarketing
The correlation between empathy and mirror neurons is of strategic value in the field of neuromarketing.
Observing how the human brain reacts to certain stimuli appears to help us understand how to communicate effectively in advertising.
If the human brain tends to automatically mirror observed actions and emotions, then visual and narrative communication can be designed to stimulate this mechanism.
You will no doubt have seen an object owned by someone and felt the desire to have it yourself.
That pleasant feeling can help influence your decision to purchase it, imitating the other person.
Adverts showing smiling faces, caring gestures or engaging scenes of consumer behaviour activate the same areas of the brain in consumers that would be activated by directly experiencing that same behaviour.
Mirror neurons and emotions are inseparable, precisely because the former send strong signals to the limbic system, the headquarters of our emotions.
Mirror neurons and empathy: conclusion
Understanding mirror neurons and their association with empathy shows us how deeply our minds are programmed to resonate with the actions and emotions of others.
This principle goes beyond theory, finding direct applications in communication, learning and especially in neuromarketing, where emotional involvement is key to creating authentic connections with a target audience.
Exploring these dynamics means acquiring practical tools to make brand and consumer relationship strategies more effective.
This is why CERTAMENTE, the seventh edition of which is scheduled to take place on the 14th and 15th of October in Milan, represents a unique opportunity: two days in which scholars and experts in neuromarketing and behavioural sciences, together with marketing and communication experts, meet to translate scientific research into innovative business practices.
