We imitate people all the time unconsciously. Have you ever noticed yourself beginning to sound or use the same mannerisms as the person you spend the most time with? Whenever we interact with people, we slightly mimic parts of their speech, facial expressions, and behavior. Humans have this natural tendency that contributes to achievements in perception, coordination, and social interactions. When we take in subtle information about others, it allows us to imitate people without our awareness.
Not only can body posture and verbal communication be mimicked, but so can our facial expressions, called covert facial mimicry. This is when we mirror others' emotional expressions. For example, mimicking a smile or worried look. Covert facial mimicry serves important functions, such as building social connections and empathizing with others' emotions. According to Rosenblum (2010), the chameleon effect is, “our unconscious tendency to mimic the postures, mannerisms, and facial expressions of other people” (p. 388). From just a few weeks after birth, we start imitating facial expressions, portraying our innate tendency to mimic others throughout our lives.
Although most of the time imitating is unconscious, there have been times I have noticed myself copying others whether it's in my mannerisms or how I speak. I agree that this can build social connections because it shows that we can relate to and understand other people.
The Chameleon Effect can be applied to many situations. For example, when my friends and I are with each other for a long time period, we begin to "copy" each other mannerisms and slang.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that I copy what other people do especially if it is something like repeated leg tapping. I only realized it after someone pointed out that I did tap my legs a lot and afterwards I became aware every time I did it. I also see how it can be used to form social connections as well.
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