Psychology Imitation of the counterpart increases the popularity of getting to know each other

"Social chameleons" are popular with others

When we meet somebody for the first time, it often does not take long until we know if we like each other or not. If one's first impression of the other person is sympathetic, the probability that we are imitating this specific person increases. The German researchers have now found out.

The first impression of the opposite

Scientists from the renowned Havard University reported last year on a study that showed that two questions play a central role, each subconsciously, when he meets for the first time a previously unknown person: "How trustworthy does my counterpart?" And " How competent do I judge others? "If the first impression of the other person is positive, the likelihood that we are mimicking that specific person increases. Researchers at the University of Leipzig and the Free University Berlin have found this out in a joint study.

If one's first impression of the other person is sympathetic, the probability that we are imitating this specific person increases. This imitation leads to greater popularity in getting to know each other. (Image: Minerva Studio / fotolia.com)

Effects on Mutual Sympathy Assessments

Although many people nowadays become acquainted with dating apps like Tinder, the first personal contact is usually of paramount importance. It obviously helps to be similar to his counterpart.

For people who imitate others while getting acquainted make themselves popular - at least within their own gender.

This is the conclusion of a study by scientists from Freie Universität Berlin and the University of Leipzig, which has now been published in the renowned journal "Psychological Science".

As part of the scientific work, the researchers analyzed the imitation behavior when getting to know each other. To this end, 139 people who did not know each other were invited to the lab in same-sex groups of four to six participants.

Each then conducted five-minute introductory talks with each of the other group members in turn. Before and after each person stated how sympathetic he or she found the other person.

On the basis of the video recordings of these discussions, differences in the imitation behavior and its effects on the mutual sympathy assessments were analyzed.

"Social Chameleons"

The results show that individuals differ in their tendency to mimic their interaction partners. Thus, there are people who hardly show any imitation behavior, while other people are particularly likely to imitate their counterparts.

They are referred to in the research literature as so-called "social chameleons".

"In our study, we can show that this imitative behavior led to a higher popularity of these social chameleons," said the psychologist Helén Liebermann of the Free University of Berlin in a statement.

Imitation gives the other person the feeling of being liked

On the other hand, there was little evidence that people differ in generally inducing mimicry in others. Rather, the study showed that mimicry depends primarily on the unique relationship between two people.

If one's first impression of the other person is sympathetic, the probability that we are imitating this specific person increases.

This imitation or mimicry gives the imitated person the feeling of being liked and causes the imitative person to be perceived as more sympathetic.

"The results therefore suggest a binding mechanism through mimicry. Through mimicry, we unconsciously communicate that we like someone and can thereby increase our own popularity, "explains Maike Salazar Kämpf from the University of Leipzig.

Strategy with downsides

So, if you already feel sympathy, you are more involved in the other. The spontaneous imitation of the person's verbal and non-verbal behavior - social mimicry - is an unconscious strategy for building relationships with other people.

However, this also has its flip sides, as researchers from the University of Leiden in Enschede in the Netherlands in 2009 found in an attempt. Their study of 92 participants showed that people who mimic others are more easily deceived by others.

"Mimicry makes it easier to understand what others feel," wrote scientists around psychologist Marielle Stel at the time. But "in the case of fraudulent messages, mimicry hinders this emotional understanding." (Ad)