cassette

WHY WE TEND TO
IMITATE OTHERS:
MIRRORING
BY SINEM YILMAZ
The human brain works non-stop at all times of
the day. Every new knowledge an individual learns
and every action they take creates a new path in the
brain; these paths affect personalities, reactions and
behaviors. Mirroring, which is one of these behaviors
and reactions, has been known for a while and
has been studied by psychologists for a long time.
Mirroring is basically the act of synchronizing one's
reactions involuntarily and uncontrollably. Humans
tend to mimic gestures of people they like, and they
do it subconsciously. The question to be asked here is:
what does it mean? Why do humans do that? Is there a
special explanation behind it?
This behavior, called mirroring in psychology, shows
that the interlocutor enjoys and is satisfied with their
communication. It is a proof that interlocutors’
interests meet, and there is a
certain level of agreement.
Historical Explanation For “Mirroring”
Mirroring has been used as a universal signal for a
very long time. Stronger, more respected and smarter
people have always been privileged in society. The
rest of the humankind had to develop certain
behavioral patterns to show their respect and dignity
to these people. For example, if an individual known
in the community as smart and honorable wore a
handkerchief as a decorative accessory, the rest of
the group would think it was fashionable and should
definitely be worn for them as well.
Scientific Explanation
The source of this uncontrolled behavior
of humans is a neuron; the one
responsible for recognizing faces and
understanding their expressions. This
neuron becomes active when interpreting
the responses and behaviors of the person
with whom the individual communicates.
It results in an intense frown or a smiling
face. In an environment full of funny and
cheerful people, the mood of individuals
will rise and they will feel content and
peaceful. A pessimistic environment will
result in the opposite. Feelings
experienced in an unfavorable
environment indicates that the
individual's sympathy has improved and
the neuron is not functioning properly.
24