Modulation in the mirror neuron system when action prediction is not satisfied

The ability to understand competitive games is closely connected to the mirror neuron system (MNS). This network is activated not only when an action is performed, but also when it is observed. Apart from allowing the understanding of actions performed by others, the MNS has been implicated in predicting subsequent actions. However, the results concerning the modulation of this network by the final outcome of these predictions are contradictory. These contradictions may be related to the use of complex experimental conditions. The aim of this research is to identify changes in the activity of the MNS when the predictions are or are not satisfied in a simple intransitive action‐based game. An event‐related functional magnetic resonance imaging study was conducted. It consisted of the observation of videos with two actors playing the well‐known rock–paper–scissors game. The participants were asked to predict the response of the second actor when the first actor performed one of the three possible actions. In some videos (congruents) the prediction was satisfied, but in the rest of the videos (incongruents) the prediction was not satisfied. When the result was shown, higher activity in the MNS was observed in the congruent videos than in the incongruent ones. Therefore, the observation of a simple manual game leads to a significant activation of the MNS, and this activity seems to be modulated by the final outcome of a prediction, and when predictions are satisfied the activity is higher. The Mirror Neuron System (MNS) is involved in predicting subsequent actions. There was no clear evidence about the effect of observing an action which is congruent or incongruent with the predicted one. In an fMRI based experiment, using a modification of the rock‐paper‐scissor game, higher activity in MNS was observed during the observation of congruent than incongruent actions. Therefore the MNS shows higher activity when the result of an action prediction is satisfied.