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body language
You mirror the physical behaviors of the person you like.
The chameleon effect is the unconscious imitation of a conversation partner's posture, gestures, and facial expressions.
A 1999 study found that participants were more likely to mimic their partner's physical habits if they were trying to build rapport or were already in agreement.
Your body signals your social intentions before you consciously choose them.
Where this comes from
- Study
- Chartrand and Bargh, 1999, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- What the check found
- The definition is accurate to psychological consensus and the cited study, though the original study used specific motor tasks to isolate the effect rather than general conversation.
- Confidence
- Well replicated
Related
One of these every day, and every one names the study it came from. When a finding is contested, it says so.