First You
See, Then
You Do
Check out the surprising
benefits of being a copycat
ILLUSTRATION BY SHAW NIELSEN
Imitation often gets a bad rap—take
imitation leather (not breathable)
and imitation crabmeat (not enjoyable). But in relationships, imitation
can be good—it can make you seem
more appealing. In experiments at
THE BEST
OF YOUR LIFE
Radboud University of Nijmegen in
the Netherlands, subjects interviewed
by someone who subtly mirrored their
postures gave bigger donations to a
charity and were more likely to help
an interviewer. And in research
published in the Journal of Personality
and Social Psychology, students rated
interactions with mimickers as
smoother than those with
nonmimickers; they also
considered mimickers
more likable. But while
imitation may seem sim-
ple, it can be tricky, warns
Robert Epstein, Ph.D.,
lecturer and former edi-
tor of Psychology Today.
If people notice what
you’re doing, they may find you manipulative. Epstein’s advice: “Think
smaller: If someone crosses his or
her legs, wait 5 to 10 seconds, then
cross your ankles.” If subtlety’s not
your strong suit, make note of a person’s mannerisms. Then try a few
mini-versions the next time you’re
together. —Melissa Gotthardt
