Let's face it. A review of Keenan, Gallup, & Falk's book "The Face in the Mirror"

Using neuroimaging experiments and neuropsychological case studies, Keenan mainly examines the neural basis of mirror self-recognition (MSR) and Theory of Mind (TOM), and proposes that self-awareness is dominantly associated with areas of the right hemisphere. I believe that this conclusion is both inflated and premature. MSR is only superficially related to genuine, fully mature human self-awareness. Furthermore, TOM should not be equated with self-awareness because some forms of it (e.g., self-rumination) actually interfere with thinking about others' mental states. One more general (and serious) problem with the book is the proposal that because MSR and TOM are mainly generated by right hemispheric activity, then it follows that self-awareness itself is associated with activity of the same hemisphere. Recent studies on autobiographical memory and self-description also indicate left hemispheric activit

On the importance of inner speech for self-awareness

In this presentation I use recent empirical evidence and theoretical analyses concerning the importance of language in consciousness. Preliminary clinical and neuropsychological data indicate that inner speech is deeply linked to self-awareness; also, four hypotheses concerning the crucial role inner speech plays in self-focus are presented. I conclude by proposing that genuine consciousness (i.e., self-awareness) is impossible without language

Self-awareness review Part 1: Do you “self-reflect” or “self-ruminate”?

We all spend time analyzing our inner thoughts and feelings; past research looked at this activity as being unitary in nature (i.e., simply focusing on the self), examined how frequently people introspect, and identified the effects of self-focus on behavior. Current studies indicate that people actually engage in two different types of self-analysis: self-reflection (enjoying analyzing the self) and self-rumination (not being able to shut off thoughts about the self), each leading to opposite consequences

Right hemispheric self-awareness: A critical assessment

In this commentaryI evaluate the claim made byKeenan, Nelson, OConnor, and Pascual-Leone (2001) that since self-recognition results from right hemispheric activity, self-awareness too is likely to be produced by the activity of the same hemisphere. This reasoning is based on the assumption that self-recognition represents a valid operationalization of self-awareness; I present two views that challenge this rationale. Keenan et al. also support their claim with published evidence relating brain activityand self-awareness; I closely examine their analysis of one specific review of literature and conclude that it appears to be biased. Finally, recent research suggests that inner speech (which is associated with left hemispheric activity) is linked to self-awareness—an observation that further casts doubt on the existence of a right hemispheric self-awareness

Self-awareness, self-recognition, and Theory of Mind: Conceptual distinctions and neuroanatomic localization

Comment on Keenan's (2003) hypothesis that self-recognition, Theory-of-Mind, and self-awareness are located in the right hemispher

Self-awareness review Part 2: Changing or escaping the self

When we become self-aware we see who we are and what we would like to be. What do we do? Do we change who we are? Or do we escape self-awareness by watching TV—or worst, by drinking alcohol, doing drugs, or committing suicide

Self-recognition, theory-of-mind, and self-awareness: What side are you on?

A fashionable view in comparative psychology states that primates possess self-awareness because they exhibit mirror self-recognition (MSR), which in turn makes it possible to infer mental states in others (‘‘theory-of-mind’’; ToM). In cognitive neuroscience, an increasingly popular position holds that the right hemisphere represents the centre of self-awareness because MSR and ToM tasks presumably increase activity in that hemisphere. These two claims are critically assessed here as follows: (1) MSR should not be equated with full-blown self-awareness, as it most probably only requires kinaesthetic self-knowledge and does not involve access to one’s mental events; (2) ToM and self-awareness are fairly independent and should also not be taken as equivalent notions; (3) MSR and ToM tasks engage medial and left brain areas; (4) other self-awareness tasks besides MSR and ToM tasks (e.g., self-description, autobiography) mostly recruit medial and left brain areas; (5) and recent neuropsychological evidence implies that inner speech (produced by the left hemisphere) plays a significant role in self-referential activity. The main conclusions reached based on this analysis are that (a) organisms that display MSR most probably do not possess introspective self-awareness, and (b) self-related processes most likely engage a distributed network of brain regions situated in both hemispheres

Évaluation de quelques sources d’erreur dans un inventaire semi-automatisé de l’utilisation agricole du sol : étude de cas à Sainte-Foy

Un inventaire de l'occupation du sol pour chaque terrain agricole peut être produit par le croisement (automatisé) entre une image satellitaire classifiée et une image des terrains, provenant du cadastre numérisé. Trois sources d'erreur sont examinées. L'erreur planimétrique, créée par la « rasteurisation » des polygones-terrain, Terreur dans les proportions des classes d'occupation du sol due à la résolution spatiale, et l'erreur de la classification elle-même. Les résultats démontrent que chacune de ces erreurs varie en fonction des terrains, donnant des inventaires de qualité inégale. Il est difficile de le corréler avec les dimensions des terrains, et de fixer ainsi des dimensions minimales nécessaires au succès de l'inventaire agricole dans un milieu péri-urbain.An inventory of the land cover per individual agricultural plot can be produced by the cross-tabulation of a classified satellite image and an image of plots provided by the digitized land survey of the region. Three sources of error are examined. The planimetric error, created by the rasterization of the ground polygons, the proportional error in the land cover classes due to the spatial resolution and lastly, the classification error itself. The results show that each of these errors varies in relation to the land parcels which produces inventories of unequal quality. It is difficult to correlate them with the plot dimensions, and thus to set the minimal dimensions required to insure the success of the agricultural inventory in a suburban area

Self-Reported Frequency, Content, and Functions of Inner Speech

AbstractThis study obtained information about the frequency, content, and functions of inner speech by asking 380 participants what they typically say to themselves using an open-format thought-listing procedure. Participants mostly reported talking to themselves about themselves—i.e., evaluating the self, emotions, physical appearance, and relationships. Self-reported inner speech was also about individuals close to the self (family, friends, and intimate partner) and one's immediate physical environment. Participants listed inner speech about school, work, sports, and leisure activities. The inner speech functions of self-regulation and mnemonic aid were often mentioned. This represents the first study to explicitly examine self-reported inner speech frequency, content, and functions in adult participants