London - From mirroring someone’s body language, to unwittingly mimicking someone’s accent, most people have an subconscious desire to copy others.
Now scientists have shown just how deep the drive to mimic other people really is.
In a series of experiments they found that people playing the schoolyard game rock-paper-scissors are far more likely to 'draw'– match their opponent’s gesture – when they can see each other.
Psychologists who made the discovery say the unconscious desire to mimic is so powerful, it occurs even when people know they will be penalised for drawing a game.
Richard Cook, from University College London, said: “From the moment we’re born, we are frequently exposed to situations where performing an action accurately predicts seeing the same action, or vice versa.
“Parents seemingly can’t help but imitate the facial expressions of their new borns – smiling, sticking their tongues out and so on.”
He added: “This experience causes the impulse to imitate to become so ingrained it is often subconscious, for example when one person starts tapping their foot in a waiting room it is not uncommon for the whole room to start tapping their feet without thinking.”
The experiments took place over three sessions, each lasting 70 minutes.
Each volunteer was give £5 (about R60) for taking part and was promised more cash if they did well in the games. Whoever got the most wins out of 60 games would earn another £2.50. However, if any game match was tied, neither player would get a bonus.
The complex rules were designed to make a draw undesirable.
In some games neither player could see what the other was doing. But in others, one player was blindfolded.
The authors report: “There was clear evidence of a tendency for the sighted player to imitate the blindfolded player - i.e. to choose the same gesture.”
When both players were blindfolded, 33.3 percent of games ended in a draw – exactly what you would expect from chance.
But when one player could see, 36.3 percent of games ended in a tie, even though it was not in their financial interests to draw, Cook and colleagues report in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Automatic copying is controlled by a network of brain regions called the “mirror neuron system”. The system responds immediately to the sight of any action – often before the conscious brain clocks what is happening.
Some evolutionary psychologists believe that automatic imitation may act as “social glue” – helping people to empathise and connect with each other.
Past studies have shown that people have a subconscious desire to copy the movements, gestures and speech pattern of people they are talking to - a behaviour nicknamed “the chameleon effect”.
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair was famous for changing his accent - and dropping into Estuary English - to suit his audience while American talk show host Oprah Winfrey came under fire for inadvertently mimicking the accents of her guests.
Some studies have shown that people respond more warmly when someone imitates their accent, speech patterns and gestures.
Cook said the discovery could help professional rock-paper-scissors players.
“If you could train your brain enough, it’s possible you could automatically form a pair of scissors when your opponent makes a paper gesture – instead of automatically making the paper gesture yourself.’ - Daily Mail