TY - JOUR

T1 - The power of movement

T2 - Evidence for context-independent movement imitation

AU - Genschow, Oliver

AU - Florack, Arnd

AU - Wänke, Michaela

PY - 2013/8

Y1 - 2013/8

N2 - Recent studies have shown that individuals often imitate the behavior of others. In these studies, the observed and imitated behaviors were always identical. The present research goes one step further and disentangles the imitation of movements from their behavioral contexts. On the basis of theories that the perception of behavior refers to the same mental representations as the execution, we found that imitation is not confined to the same class of behaviors but rather to the same class of movements that may be involved in different behaviors. Four studies demonstrated that watching an athlete lifting a barbell leads to an increase in participants' drink intake when drinking involved a similar movement (lifting a cup) but not when drinking did not involve a lifting movement (drinking through a tube). The effects were stronger for individuals high in perspective taking (Study 1) and for situations in which the perspective was manipulated to be similar to the observed actor's (Study 2). These findings demonstrate the power of movements in imitation processes, suggesting that shared goal representation is not necessary for imitating others' movements.

AB - Recent studies have shown that individuals often imitate the behavior of others. In these studies, the observed and imitated behaviors were always identical. The present research goes one step further and disentangles the imitation of movements from their behavioral contexts. On the basis of theories that the perception of behavior refers to the same mental representations as the execution, we found that imitation is not confined to the same class of behaviors but rather to the same class of movements that may be involved in different behaviors. Four studies demonstrated that watching an athlete lifting a barbell leads to an increase in participants' drink intake when drinking involved a similar movement (lifting a cup) but not when drinking did not involve a lifting movement (drinking through a tube). The effects were stronger for individuals high in perspective taking (Study 1) and for situations in which the perspective was manipulated to be similar to the observed actor's (Study 2). These findings demonstrate the power of movements in imitation processes, suggesting that shared goal representation is not necessary for imitating others' movements.

KW - Goal independent imitation

KW - Imitation

KW - Motor mimicry

KW - Stimulus-response compatibility

KW - Business psychology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84888037884&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/734985ea-6402-336f-90f4-101f4f6eb733/

U2 - 10.1037/a0029795

DO - 10.1037/a0029795

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 22946897

AN - SCOPUS:84888037884

VL - 142

SP - 763

EP - 773

JO - Journal of Experimental Psychology: General

JF - Journal of Experimental Psychology: General

SN - 0096-3445

IS - 3

ER -