Back to Blog
Mirroing mythoughts5/8/2023 ![]() ![]() The use of noninvasive fMRI studies have shown that there is evidence of mirroring in humans similar to that found in monkeys in the inferior parietal lobe and part of the inferior frontal gyrus. It is possible for autistic individuals to deliberately learn and become aware of these cues. Individuals who are not unconsciously aware of the gesture may have difficulties in social situations, as they may be less able to understand another person's perspective without it being explicitly stated, and thus may not understand covert cues that are often used in the social world. Additionally, other individuals may be less likely to build rapport with the person, as without mirroring the person may seem more dissimilar and less friendly. This factor may cause additional difficulties for the individuals, as without mirroring, establishing connections with other people may be more difficult. Individuals with autism or other social difficulties may be less likely to exhibit mirroring, as they may be less unconsciously and consciously aware of the actions of others. The study demonstrates that the initial attitudes that an interviewer may have of the individual being interviewed may affect the performance of the interviewee due to mirroring. As a result, the individuals being interviewed began to mirror the actions of the interviewer, and thus the individuals in the condition with less friendly body language fared worse within the interview than did individuals in the friendly condition. In one condition, interviewers were instructed to demonstrate distant and uninterested body language (such as leaning away or avoiding eye contact), and in another condition, they were asked to demonstrate more welcoming body language (such as smiling and making eye contact). ![]() Within a study conducted by Word, Zanna and Cooper, interviewers were instructed to follow specific types of body language in different experimental conditions. Individuals may be more willing to empathize with and accept people whom they believe hold similar interests and beliefs, and thus mirroring the person with whom one is speaking may establish connections between the individuals involved.Īdditionally, mirroring may play a role in how well an individual fares in a job interview. Mirroring is common in conversation, as the listeners will typically smile or frown along with the speaker, as well as imitate body posture or attitude about the topic. Mirroring generally takes place unconsciously as individuals react with the situation. Mirroring taking place during a meeting with President Reagan Mirror neurons react to and cause these movements, allowing the individuals to feel a greater sense of engagement and belonging within the situation. ![]() ![]() As the two individuals in the situation display similar nonverbal gestures, they may believe that they share similar attitudes and ideas as well. Mirroring can establish rapport with the individual who is being mirrored, as the similarities in nonverbal gestures allow the individual to feel more connected with the person exhibiting the mirrored behavior. The infant continues to establish connections with other individual's emotions and subsequently mirror their movements. The ability to mimic another person's actions allows the infant to establish a sense of empathy and thus begin to understand another person's emotions. The display of mirroring often begins as early as infancy, as babies begin to mimic individuals around them and establish connections with particular body movements. It has also been described as the chameleon effect. Mirroring is distinct from conscious imitation under the premise that while the latter is a conscious, typically overt effort to copy another person, mirroring is unconsciously done during the act and often goes unnoticed. Mirroring often occurs in social situations, particularly in the company of close friends or family, often going unnoticed by both parties.The concept often affects other individuals' notions about the individual that is exhibiting mirroring behaviors, which can lead to the individual building rapport with others. Mirroring is the behavior in which one person subconsciously imitates the gesture, speech pattern, or attitude of another.
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |