The problem with imitating others, though, is that unless the other person in the conversation is a mirror, we cannot visually know what we are expressing. In other words, our expressions are felt, but unseen. When we look at the other person's facial expression, we can visually perceive that this person is smiling, without actually feeling what the person is feeling. How, then, does one imitate?
Have you ever been to a party, or any other social setting, and observed people in conversation? If you take a closer look, you may notice that people who get along well will mimic each other's body language – their gestures, posture and expressions will tend to mirror one another. This is known as the Chameleon Effect, the tendency to imitate people and even strangers (Chartrand & Bargh, 1999). The tendency to imitate is an important social lubricant; several studies have shown that mimicking another person increases our likability and that people who are emphatic and attentive imitate more.
The problem with imitating others, though, is that unless the other person in the conversation is a mirror, we cannot visually know what we are expressing. In other words, our expressions are felt, but unseen. When we look at the other person's facial expression, we can visually perceive that this person is smiling, without actually feeling what the person is feeling. How, then, does one imitate?
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The Psych ApprenticeHave you ever had a thought pop into your mind and wonder "how would psychology explain that?" The Psych Apprentice blog is dedicated to answering those random thoughts, and to explaining phenomena through psychological research. Topics
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About the AuthorEureka Foong has a bachelor's degree in psychology from Linfield College, Oregon. She is a surfer of the digital kind and is curious about the way we view others, learn languages, and are affected by the media.
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