The majority of research on human perception and action tends to treat these as separate functions. What is less often considered in these research domains is that humans interact with a perceived world in which they themselves are part of the perceptual representation. Evidence has been mounting to show that self-representation is fundamental to both executing and understanding spatially directed action. It has been theorized to play a role in reaching and grasping, locomotion and navigation, infant imitation, spatial and social perspective taking, and neurological dysfunctions as diverse as phantom limb pain and autism. Behavioral research has revealed a number of tantalizing outcomes that point to a role for the representation of the body in basic human function; neuroscientists have identified multiple sensorimotor maps of the body within the cortex and specific brain areas devoted to the representation of space and place; and developmental researchers have identified neonatal behaviors indicating a representation of self and have traced the course of spatially oriented action across the early years. What is needed is a shared effort to merge perspectives of behavioral science, neuroscience, and developmental psychology in order to further our understanding of self-representation. With support from the National Science Foundation, the 2006 Carnegie Symposium will provide a forum by which researchers from these various perspectives can come together to share their findings, ideas, aspirations, and concerns.
