In psychology, self-other control, also known as self-other distinction, denotes the capacity to discern between one's own and other individuals' physical and mental states — actions, perceptions, and emotions.[note 1]
The right temporoparietal junction plays an important role in distinguishing the self and others as separate identities. Mental disorders, like schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder, have been associated to either excesses or deficits of self-other control. In cases of deficits, symptoms such as motor imitation and emotional contagion might be present; excesses can result in personal distress, paranoia, motor tics and compulsions.
Self-other control is crucial to the process of empathy; it permits to put apart one's thought from the others. When low self-other control is present, transcranial direct-current stimulation and imitation-inhibition training have been suggested as a potential way to augment it.