Abstract
Mimicry has been suggested to function as a “social glue”, a key mechanism that helps to build social rapport. It leads to increased feeling of closeness toward the mimicker as well as greater liking, suggesting close bidirectional links with reward. In recent work using eye-gaze tracking, we have demonstrated that the reward value of being mimicked, measured using a preferential looking paradigm, is directly proportional to trait empathy (Neufeld and Chakrabarti, 2016). In the current manuscript, we investigated the reward value of the act of mimicking, using a simple task manipulation that involved allowing or inhibiting spontaneous facial mimicry in response to dynamic expressions of positive emotion. We found greater reward-related neural activity in response to the condition where mimicry was allowed compared to that where mimicry was inhibited. The magnitude of this link from mimicry to reward response was positively correlated to trait empathy.
Highlights
Mimicry is a facilitator of social bonds in humans
In recent work using eye-gaze tracking, we have demonstrated that the reward value of being mimicked, measured using a preferential looking paradigm, is directly proportional to trait empathy (Neufeld and Chakrabarti, 2016)
Functional connectivity between brain areas involved in reward processing and facial mimicry was found to be higher when observing faces conditioned with high vs. low reward (Sims et al, 2014)
Summary
Mimicry is a facilitator of social bonds in humans. Spontaneous mimicry of facial expressions of emotion is seen in humans from an early stage in development, and contributes to the affective response to another person's emotion state, i.e. affective empathy (Meltzoff, 2007; Meltzoff and Decety, 2003; Meltzoff and Moore, 2002). Social psychological studies have suggested a bidirectional link between mimicry and liking. Human adults like those who mimic them, and mimic others more who they like (Kühn et al, 2010; Likowski et al, 2008; McIntosh, 2006; Stel and Vonk, 2010; Lakin et al, 2003). Experimentally manipulating the reward value associated with a face influences the extent of its spontaneous mimicry (Sims et al, 2012). Functional connectivity between brain areas involved in reward processing (ventral striatum, VS) and facial mimicry (inferior frontal gyrus, IFG) was found to be higher when observing faces conditioned with high vs low reward (Sims et al, 2014). Using an identical paradigm in an EEG experiment, greater mu-suppression (related to mimicry-relevant sensorimotor coupling/ mirror system activity) was noted in response to faces associated with high vs. low reward (Trilla-Gros et al, 2015)
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