TY  - JOUR
A1  - Sparenberg, Peggy
A1  - Topolinski, Sascha
A1  - Springer, Anne
A1  - Prinz, Wolfgang
T1  - Minimal mimicry: Mere effector matching induces preference
JF  - Brain and cognition : a journal of experimental and clinical research
N2  - Both mimicking and being mimicked induces preference for a target. The present experiments investigate the minimal sufficient conditions for this mimicry-preference link to occur. We argue that mere effector matching between one's own and the other person's movement is sufficient to induce preference, independent of which movement is actually performed. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants moved either their arms or legs, and watched avatars that moved either their arms or legs, respectively, without any instructions to mimic. The executed movements themselves and their pace were completely different between participants (fast circular movements) and targets (slow linear movements). Participants preferred avatars that moved the same body part as they did over avatars that moved a different body part. In Experiment 3, using human targets and differently paced movements, movement similarity was manipulated in addition to effector overlap (moving forward-backward or sideways with arms or legs, respectively). Only effector matching, but not movement matching, influenced preference ratings. These findings suggest that mere effector overlap is sufficient to trigger preference by mimicry. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
KW  - Mimicry
KW  - Preference
KW  - Action-perception link
KW  - Common coding
Y1  - 2012
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2012.08.004
SN  - 0278-2626
VL  - 80
IS  - 3
SP  - 291
EP  - 300
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - San Diego
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Zhou, Yuefang
A1  - Fischer, Martin H.
T1  - Mimicking non-verbal emotional expressions and empathy development in simulated consultations
BT  - an experimental feasibility study
JF  - Patient education and counseling
N2  - Objective: To explore the feasibility of applying an experimental design to study the relationship between non-verbal emotions and empathy development in simulated consultations.
Method: In video-recorded simulated consultations, twenty clinicians were randomly allocated to either an experimental group (instructed to mimic non-verbal emotions of a simulated patient, SP) or a control group (no such instruction). Baseline empathy scores were obtained before consultation, relational empathy was rated by SP after consultation. Multilevel logistic regression modelled the probability of mimicry occurrence, controlling for baseline empathy and clinical experience. ANCOVA compared group differences on relational empathy and consultation smoothness.
Results: Instructed mimicry lasted longer than spontaneous mimicry. Mimicry was marginally related to improved relational empathy. SP felt being treated more like a whole person during consultations with spontaneous mimicry. Clinicians who displayed spontaneous mimicry felt consultations went more smoothly.
Conclusion: The experimental approach improved our understanding of how non-verbal emotional mimicry contributed to relational empathy development during consultations. Further work should ascertain the potential of instructed mimicry to enhance empathy development.
Practice implications: Understanding how non-verbal emotional mimicry impacts on patients’ perceived clinician empathy during consultations may inform training and intervention programme development.
KW  - Mimicry
KW  - Non-verbal emotion
KW  - Empathy
KW  - Experimental design
Y1  - 2017
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2017.08.016
SN  - 0738-3991
VL  - 101
IS  - 2
SP  - 304
EP  - 309
PB  - Elsevier Science
CY  - Clare
ER  -