Neuroscience of feedback (2 of 5)

Understanding people’s feelings and thoughts – Ever felt hungry when you watch somebody eat? Or tired after watching somebody do strenuous exercise? If you have then you have experienced mirror neurons in action. This brain function is key to how we relate to others, and could even help us ‘read’ people’s minds.

The secret to understanding what people feel lies in watching them move. This video excerpt follows a group of rowers during a race, and introduces ‘mirror neurons’.

Every action has its own unique pattern of electrical impulses in our brain, and the interesting thing is that when we watch someone perform an action, mirror neurons actually mimic the brain activity as if we were doing the same thing.

The importance of this in social and work situations is that if you know what someone is feeling you are not very far off knowing what they are thinking. This is critical in a one on one feedback situation, where the mirror neurons of both parties will be working hard to assess what the other person is feeling, and inform the amygdala in order to give the appropriate emotional response.