HomePeopleResearch TeachingIn the News PublicationsLinks

Mimicry: an old trick of nature, used in many facets of human culture

Is there anything common between a school of fish and a group of bachelor girls partying at Las Vegas? Yes, members of these groups mimic each other. Mimicry is a pervasive biological phenomenon. It is everywhere in nature and culture. Think about the way we dress, e.g., how low cut jeans have become fashionable in the last decade.

Why do we mimic each other? What are the evolutionary advantages of mimicking? What is the difference between homology and analogy in evolutionary biology? What social functions does mimicry serve? Is there a continuity between this primitive level of resonance between self and others and a more complex cognitive ability that we call imitation?

In this course I will discuss this important biological phenomena across different species, including humans, with a multi-disciplinary perspective drawing on evolutionary biology, comparative psychology, social psychology, developmental science and cognitive neuroscience. I will argue that the study of mimicry and imitation supports the view of cognition as emerging from layers of dynamic perceptual-motor skills scaffolded by social and cultural environments.

Lecture outline:
- Mimicry is everywhere
- What is mimicry
- Evolutionary biology and mimicry
- The many functions of mimicry
- Neural mechanism of motor mimicry in humans
- The psychopathology of the lack of mimicry
- Societal consequences: the case of media violence

You'll also enjoy spectacular photos of schools of fish (from the Red Sea) and cuties in Las Vegas, where I found some inspiration to prepare my class!

Readings
Lakin, J.L. et al. (2003). The chameleon effect as social glue: Evidence for the evolutionary significance of nonconscious mimicry. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 27, 145-157.
Hurley, S. & Chater, N. (2005). Perspectives on Imitation: From Cognitive Neuroscience to Social Science, Volume I & II. Cambridge: MIT Press.
Mayr, E. (2002). What Evolution Is. New York: Basic Books.
Meltzoff, A.N. & Decety, J. (2003). What imitation tells us about social cognition: A rapprochement between developmental psychology and cognitive neuroscience. The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, London, 358, 491-500.
Rizzolatti, G. & Craighero, L. (2004). The mirror-neuron system. Annual Review in Neuroscience, 27, 169-92.
Rogers, S. & Williams, J. (2006). Imitation and the Social Mind: Autism and Typical Development. New York: Guilford Publication.

Course syllabus available on Chalk