Activation of the Human Superior Temporal Gyrus during Observation of Goal Attribution by Intentional Objects

Previous functional imaging experiments in humans showed activation increases in the posterior superior temporal gyrus and sulcus during observation of geometrical shapes whose movements appear intentional or goal-directed. We modeled a chase scenario between two objects, in which the chasing object used different strategies to reach the target object: The chaser either followed the target's path or appeared to predict its end position. Activation in the superior temporal gyrus of human observers was greater when the chaser adopted a predict rather than a follow strategy. Attending to the chaser's strategy induced slightly greater activation in the left superior temporal gyrus than attending to the outcome of the chase. These data implicate the superior temporal gyrus in the identification of objects displaying complex goal-directed motion.