Beyond the Perception-Behavior Link: The Ubiquitous Utility and Motivational Moderators of Nonconscious Mimicry

Chartrand, Tanya L.; Maddux, William W.; Lakin, Jessica L.

doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195307696.003.0014

Cited by 191 publications

(237 citation statements)

References 86 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

218

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…This common representation then eventually triggers the execution of the observed action. Similarly, social psychologists put forward the so-called perception-behavior link to explain mimicry (Chartrand & Bargh, 1999;Chartrand, Maddux, & Lakin, 2005;Dijksterhuis & Bargh, 2001). Such a link assumes that merely perceiving a specific movement evokes the same representation as the execution of this movement, thus facilitating the execution of the perceived movement.…”

Section: Mimicry and Automatic Imitationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of group membership on cross-contextual imitation

Genschow

Schindler

2015

Psychon Bull Rev

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Research on mimicry has demonstrated that individuals imitate in-group members more strongly than outgroup members. In the present study, we tested whether such top-down modulation also applies for more extreme forms of direct mapping, such as for cross-contextual imitation settings, in which individuals imitate others' movements without sharing a common goal or context. Models on self-other control suggest that top-down modulations are based merely on a direct link between social sensory processing and imitation. That is, perceived similarities between oneself and another person is sufficient to amplify a shared representation between own and others' actions, which then trigger imitation. However, motivational accounts explain such findings with the assumption that individuals are motivated to affiliate with others. Because imitation is linked to positive social consequences, individuals should imitate in-group members more strongly than out-group members. We tested these two theoretical accounts against each other by applying a crosscontextual imitation paradigm. The results demonstrate that in-group members are more strongly cross-contextually imitated than out-group members the higher individuals' motivation to affiliate with the in-group is. This supports motivational models but not self-other control accounts. Further theoretical implications are discussed.

show abstract

Section: Mimicry and Automatic Imitationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of group membership on cross-contextual imitation

Genschow

Schindler

2015

Psychon Bull Rev

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Mimicking behavior continues throughout life, and people tend to automatically mimic the expressions, body language, and behaviors of others, often without awareness. People who do a good job of mimicking others generate positive feelings and are better liked (35). People mimic the eating behaviors of others, including choices of food and portions (36).…”

Section: Mirror Neuronsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neurophysiological Pathways to Obesity: Below Awareness and Beyond Individual Control

Cohen

2008

Diabetes

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A global obesity epidemic is occurring simultaneously with ongoing increases in the availability and salience of food in the environment. Obesity is increasing across all socioeconomic groups and educational levels and occurs even among individuals with the highest levels of education and expertise in nutrition and related fields. Given these circumstances, it is plausible that excessive food consumption occurs in ways that defy personal insight or are below individual awareness. The current food environment stimulates automatic reflexive responses that enhance the desire to eat and increase caloric intake, making it exceedingly difficult for individuals to resist, especially because they may not be aware of these influences. This article identifies 10 neurophysiological pathways that can lead people to make food choices subconsciously or, in some cases, automatically. These pathways include reflexive and uncontrollable neurohormonal responses to food images, cues, and smells; mirror neurons that cause people to imitate the eating behavior of others without awareness; and limited cognitive capacity to make informed decisions about food. Given that people have limited ability to shape the food environment individually and no ability to control automatic responses to food-related cues that are unconsciously perceived, it is incumbent upon society as a whole to regulate the food environment, including the number and types of food-related cues, portion sizes, food availability, and food advertising. Diabetes 57:1768-1773, 2008 T here is a growing consensus that the global obesity epidemic is the result of increasing urbanization and globalization, coupled with significant changes in the food environment (1,2). Obesity was initially highest in developed countries, but developing countries are quickly catching up (3). The dominant thinking about obesity is that prevention and treatment is a matter of self-control and individuals making wiser food choices. However, if this is really the case, then it implies that 30 years ago, before obesity increased, the population had more self-control and made wiser choices, and since then, our collective capacity for selfcontrol must have diminished. It also suggests that people who live in other countries with lower rates of obesity have more self-control than Americans.Just as the suppositions that a change in genetics and/or metabolism is responsible for the increase in obesity over the past three decades are implausible due to lack of evidence of mutations over this short period of time, the idea that the levels of personal responsibility, knowledge, intelligence, or moral character of a majority of the population are rapidly declining is also not a credible explanation of this phenomenon. It is unlikely that the nature of people has changed so dramatically. What has changed dramatically, however, is the environment in which we now live.The availability and affordability of food has increased, due to a combination of technological advances in food preservation and packaging, i...

show abstract

“…In addition, being behaviorally mimicked in an initial interaction with someone increases the chances that individuals will perform an altruistic behavior in a subsequent context . Given these compelling results, some researchers have postulated that mimicry seems to serve as a type of 'social glue' that helps 'bind and bond' people together, and that it can be used strategically for such purposes (Chartrand et al, 2005).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%