When we act, we intend to reach a goal. Conversely, when we observe someone else act, we can often infer their intentions. Fogassi et al. (p. 662; see the Perspective by Nakahara and Miyashita) found that in the inferior parietal lobule of an individual about to begin an action, the goal of their action (e.g., grasping for food versus grasping a branch) is reflected in the discharge of the neur...

I once believed that there are several naturally occurring isotopes of gold. When asked, “Are there several naturally occurring isotopes of gold?” either I would simply say, “Yes,” or, if I was in the mood to be more explicit, I would say, “There are several naturally occurring isotopes of gold.” But four years ago, while browsing through the Encyclopedia Britannica article titled “Gold”, I rea...

Infants begin to help other individuals in the second year of life. However, it is still unclear whether early helping behavior is based on an understanding of other individuals' needs and is thus motivated prosocially. In the present eye-tracking study, 9- to 18-month-old infants (N= 71) saw a character in need of help, unable to reach its goal because of an obstacle, and a second character th...

The ability to intuit another person’s thoughts, feelings, and inner mental states is surely among the most impressive of human mental faculties. Adopting another’s perspective requires the ability to represent the self as distinct from others, the development of a theory of mind to realize that others have mental states in the first place (see also Saxe, Chapter 17, this volume) and the explic...