In a 2007 Psychological Bulletin paper, psychologists from the University of California, San Diego attributed an individual’s lack of empathy or theory of mind to dysfunctional mirror neurons. “Unlike inanimate objects, humans have the distinct property of being ’like me‘ in the eyes of the observer,” they noted. “This allows us to use the same systems that process knowledge about self-performed actions, self-conceived thoughts, and self-experienced emotions to understand actions, thoughts, and emotions in others.” They went on to propose that internal simulation mechanisms, like mirror neurons, are necessary for the human development of these traits.