Imitation as social influence

Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

Authors

People have the automatic tendency to imitate their interaction partner. Such imitative behavior can operate as a form of social influence through two different pathways. On the one hand, the imitation pathway considers imitative behavior itself as a form of social influence, where the actions of others influence one's own behavior by triggering engagement in the same actions. On the other hand, the being imitated pathway relates to the idea that being imitated by a person has several downstream consequences for the person being mimicked, but also other parties. In this chapter, we review the underlying mechanisms of these two pathways and critically evaluate its supporting evidence. At the end, we propose avenues for future research to further investigate the link between imitation and social influence.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationResearch Handbook on social influence
EditorsRadmila Prislin
Number of pages16
PublisherEdward Elgar Publishing
Publication date28.02.2025
Pages227-242
ISBN (print)978 1 03530 966 5
ISBN (electronic)9781035309672
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 28.02.2025

    Research areas

  • Psychology - automatic imitation, mimicry, social influence, being imitated, being mimicked, pro-social consequences