Mimicry : a social perspective

Abstract

This dissertation examines the 'when' and 'why' of mimicry. In the first chapter, after presenting evidence for the automaticity of mimicry, a social function of mimicry will be proposed. Then, an overview of the empirical chapters will be given and their role in supporting a social perspective on mimicry will be discussed. In the first part, evidence will be presented that people indeed have a tendency to do what others do, and it will be shown that this is a general and unintentional tendency, not directed at a specific goal. Specifically, in Chapters 2 and 3, studies which examine several moderators of our automatic tendency to mimic are described. In the second part of this dissertation, the adaptive value of mimicry is investigated. Specifically, studies in Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 illustrate the beneficial role mimicry plays in human interactions