Self-monitoring without awareness: using mimicry as a nonconscious affiliation strategy.
This research sought to extend the current conceptualization of self-monitoring by examining whether self-monitoring motives and behaviors can operate outside of conscious awareness. Two studies examined nonconscious mimicry among high and low self-monitors in situations varying in affiliative cues. Participants interacted with a confederate who shook her foot (Study 1) or touched her face (Study 2). In both studies, high self-monitors were more likely to mimic the confederate's subtle gestures when they believed the confederate to be a peer (Study 1) or someone superior to them (Study 2). Low self-monitors mimicked to the same degree across conditions. Thus, when the situation contains affiliative cues, high self-monitors use mimicry as a nonconscious strategy to get along with their interaction partner.
Cheng
Clara Michelle
CM
Ohio State University, Department of Psychology, Columbus, OH 43210-1222, USA. cheng.216@osu.edu
Chartrand
Tanya L
TL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D004291:Dominance-Subordination; D005260:Female; D005868:Gestures; D006801:Humans; D007100:Imitative Behavior; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010379:Peer Group; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012938:Social Perception; D014473:Unconscious, Psychology