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Does mimicking others change your self-view?
Marleen Redeker1, Mariëlle Stel, Jessanne Mastop
1VU University Amsterdam, Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, Netherlands. m.redeker@psy.vu.nl
The Journal of Social Psychology
|July 16, 2011
Summary
Mimicking others
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Nonverbal Communication
- Self-Perception
Background:
- Understanding how nonverbal behaviors influence self-perception is crucial in social psychology.
- Mimicry, the unconscious imitation of others' expressions, is a common social behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of mimicking interaction partners' expressions on an individual's self-view.
- To determine if mimicry alters how people perceive themselves in relation to others.
Main Methods:
- Participants were instructed to either mimic or not mimic their interaction partner's facial expressions.
- A 3-minute interaction period was followed by a measurement of participants' self-view.
- Self-view was assessed in terms of how individuals defined themselves in relation to others.
Main Results:
- Individuals who mimicked their interaction partners reported a stronger self-view in relation to others.
- A significant difference was found between the mimickers and nonmimickers groups.
- Mimicry led to a greater relational self-construal compared to not mimicking.
Conclusions:
- Mimicking facial expressions influences an individual's self-perception.
- Engaging in mimicry enhances the tendency to define oneself in relation to others.
- Nonverbal mimicry plays a role in shaping social self-view.
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