Despite widespread implementation of psychodrama, no empirical studies investigated neural mechanisms of its techniques. One gap lies in the sociocognitive model of role reversal (RR) which posits three processes: empathic role-taking, behavioural reproduction and role feedback. Related studies found deactivations in prefrontal cortex (PFC) during acting tasks, implicating inhibited self-related cognition. However, contrasting studies found PFC activations during role-taking, citing blurred boundaries between self and other that is characteristic of empathy. This study employs fNIRS to uncover neurophysiological correlates of the three processes. Three conditions (Naturalistic Conversation - NC, Role-Play - RP, Role Reversal - RR) were designed to introduce empathic role-taking and behavioural reproduction, and role feedback in transitions from NC to RP, and RP to RR respectively. 41 non-clinical adult dyads underwent all conditions. First-level General Linear Model from fNIRS signals was based on participants’ role-related utterances and compared across conditions. Anterior left PFC activity decreased as participants produced role-related utterances during RP compared to NC, implying lowered recruitment of self-referential networks during empathic role-taking and behavioural reproduction, partially supporting patterns of brain activation that can be mapped to specific sociocognitive processes in RR. Findings partially support the involvement of self-referential networks in specific sociocognitive processes in RR.

中文翻译：

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角色扮演过程中左前额皮质的激活减少：心理剧社会认知模型的 fNIRS 研究

尽管心理剧得到了广泛的应用，但没有实证研究调查其技术的神经机制。一个差距在于角色逆转（RR）的社会认知模型，该模型假设了三个过程：移情角色扮演、行为复制和角色反馈。相关研究发现，在执行任务期间，前额皮质（PFC）会失活，这意味着自我相关认知受到抑制。然而，对比研究发现，在角色扮演过程中，PFC 会被激活，并指出自我与他人之间的界限模糊，这是同理心的特征。本研究采用 fNIRS 来揭示这三个过程的神经生理学相关性。设计了三种条件（自然对话 - NC、角色扮演 - RP、角色反转 - RR），分别在从 NC 到 RP 以及从 RP 到 RR 的转换中引入移情角色扮演和行为再现以及角色反馈。41 名非临床成人双人接受了所有条件。fNIRS 信号的第一级一般线性模型基于参与者的角色相关话语，并在不同条件下进行比较。与 NC 相比，随着参与者在 RP 期间产生与角色相关的话语，左前前额皮质活动减少，这意味着在共情角色扮演和行为再现期间自我参照网络的招募减少，部分支持可以映射到特定社会认知过程的大脑激活模式。 RR。研究结果部分支持自我参照网络参与 RR 的特定社会认知过程。