TY - JOUR

T1 - Imitation and interindividual differences

T2 - Belief in free will is not related to automatic imitation

AU - Westfal, Mareike

AU - Crusius, Jan

AU - Genschow, Oliver

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by a grant from the German Research Foundation (DFG; grant number GE 3040/2-1 ). Publisher Copyright: © 2021

PY - 2021/9/1

Y1 - 2021/9/1

N2 - It is well known that individuals have the tendency to automatically imitate each other and that such imitative behavior is fostered by perceiving intentions in others' actions. That is, past research has shown that perceiving an action as internally driven enhances the shared representation of observed and executed actions increasing automatic imitation. An interpersonal factor that increases the perception that a behavior is internally driven is belief in free will. Consequently, we hypothesized that the more individuals believe in free will, the more they automatically imitate others. To test this prediction, we conducted two high-powered (total N = 642) and preregistered studies in which we assessed automatic imitation with the imitation-inhibition task. Contrary to our predictions, belief in free will did not correlate with automatic imitation. This finding contributes to current findings challenging the assumption that automatic imitation is modulated by interindividual differences. Further theoretical implications are discussed.

AB - It is well known that individuals have the tendency to automatically imitate each other and that such imitative behavior is fostered by perceiving intentions in others' actions. That is, past research has shown that perceiving an action as internally driven enhances the shared representation of observed and executed actions increasing automatic imitation. An interpersonal factor that increases the perception that a behavior is internally driven is belief in free will. Consequently, we hypothesized that the more individuals believe in free will, the more they automatically imitate others. To test this prediction, we conducted two high-powered (total N = 642) and preregistered studies in which we assessed automatic imitation with the imitation-inhibition task. Contrary to our predictions, belief in free will did not correlate with automatic imitation. This finding contributes to current findings challenging the assumption that automatic imitation is modulated by interindividual differences. Further theoretical implications are discussed.

KW - Automatic imitation

KW - Free will belief

KW - Intention

KW - Interindividual differences

KW - Top-down modulation

KW - Business psychology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85111205449&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.actpsy.2021.103374

DO - 10.1016/j.actpsy.2021.103374

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 34329885

AN - SCOPUS:85111205449

VL - 219

JO - Acta Psychologica

JF - Acta Psychologica

SN - 0001-6918

M1 - 103374

ER -