DOI: 10.5061/dryad.j3tx95x9f
title: Re-imaging the intentional stance

description: The commonly-used paradigm to investigate Dennett’s “intentional stance”
 compares neural activation when participants compete with a human versus a
 computer. This paradigm confounds whether the opponent is natural or
 artificial; and whether it is intentional or an automaton. This fMRI study
 is the first to investigate the intentional stance by orthogonally varying
 perceptions of the opponents’ intentionality (responding actively or
 passively according to a script) and embodiment (human or a computer). The
 mere perception of the opponent (whether human or computer) as intentional
 activated the mentalizing network: the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ)
 bilaterally, right temporal pole, anterior paracingulate cortex and the
 precuneus. Interacting with humans versus computers induced activations in
 a more circumscribed right lateralized sub-network within the mentalizing
 network, consisting of the TPJ and the anterior paracingulate cortex,
 possibly reflective of the tendency to spontaneously attribute
 intentionality to humans. The interaction between intentionality (Active
 versus Passive) and opponent (Human versus Computer) recruited the left
 frontal pole, possibly in response to violations of the stances most
 commonly adopted towards humans and computers. Employing an orthogonal
 design is important to adequately capture Dennett’s point that mentalizing
 applies equally well to any system (human or artificial) provided that
 system behaves intentionally.
description: The data consist of two task: The ToM localizer task
 and the RPS task. Data were acquired in a single scanning session using a
 3T Philips Achieva scanner. 176 T2*-weighted standard echo planar imaging
 (EPI) volumes were obtained in each of the RPS task runs, using a 32
 channel head coil. Parameters used to achieve whole brain coverage are as
 follows: TR=2.5s, TE=35ms, acquisition matrix = 80 x 80, flip angle =83°,
 isotropic voxels 3x3x3 mm<sup>3</sup>, 42 slices axial
 acquisition obtained consecutively in a bottom-up sequence. Using the same
 parameters, 71 EPI volumes were acquired for each run of the localizer
 task. A T1-weighted scan was then acquired as a single volume at higher
 spatial resolution as a 3D TFE image (matrix size 288x288, 175 slices,
 sagittally acquired and reconstructed to 1x1x1 mm<sup>3</sup>
 isotropic voxels. TE =3.8ms. TR = 8.4 ms). 
 Preprocessing and statistical analyses of the data were performed
 using the FMRIB software library (FSL version v.5.0.6; FMRIB, Oxford,
 www.fmrib.ox.ac.uk/fsl). For both experiments, initial preprocessing of
 the functional data consisted of slice timing correction, and motion
 correction (MCFLIRT). The blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signals were
 high-pass filtered using a Gaussian weighted filter to remove
 low-frequency drifts in the bold signal. Spatial smoothing of the BOLD
 signal was performed using a 5mm full-width-half-maximum kernel. The
 functional data were registered to their respective structural images and
 transformed to a standard template based on the Montreal Neurological
 Institute (MNI) reference brain, using a 6-DoF linear transformation
 (FLIRT).
description: The data consist of two clearly labeled folders one containing
 the data for the ToM localizer task, and one for the RPS tasks. Specific
 questions about the data can be directed to corresponding
 authors.