Scientists identify link between introspection and brain structure

Our ability to reflect on our own thoughts, emotions and behaviour is one of the key aspects of consciousness and what makes us human, but the biological basis of this process - known as 'introspection' - has until now been unknown. Now, researchers at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at UCL (University College London) have identified an area of the brain that is larger in people who are good at introspection, suggesting that this area may play a key role in the process. The study, published , was announced today at the British Science Festival in Birmingham. "We introspect when we think about our own thoughts, feelings or the decisions we have made," says Steve Fleming, joint first author of the study. "It's something we do all the time, but some people are better at it than others. Even if we don't get feedback when we make a choice, we often know intuitively if it's a good or a bad decision." Measuring introspection has previously proved challenging. Unlike learning, where a person gets better at a task, or decision-making, where we can determine whether a person's choice is correct or not, there are no outward indicators for introspective thought.