Article Accepted Manuscript

The Impact of Mimicry Behavior on Guilt

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Muniak, Paweł
Kulesza, Wojciech

Abstract / Description

Guilt, on the one hand, can be unpleasant and exhausting. On the other hand, it can also motivate individuals to, for example, make amends and repair broken social relationships. To understand this dual nature of guilt, this research turns to the concept of mimicry. Mimicry is defined as the unconscious imitation of behaviors and is widely recognized as a 'social glue' that plays a crucial role in forming and maintaining social relationships. A key question is whether mimicry could serve as an appliance for the sake of guilt release. A series of six studies (N = 414) reveals the opposite pattern: participants who were mimicked (compared to non-mimicked) felt more guilty. This outcome suggests that while mimicry generally fosters social connections, its interplay with emotions like guilt can be complex.

Keyword(s)

mimicry chameleon effect guilt mini-meta-analysis

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

2024-01-31

Journal title

Social Psychological Bulletin

Publisher

PsychArchives

Publication status

acceptedVersion

Review status

reviewed

Is version of

Citation

Muniak, P., & Kulesza, W. (in press). The impact of mimicry behavior on guilt [Accepted manuscript]. Social Psychological Bulletin. https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.14129
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Muniak, Paweł
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Kulesza, Wojciech
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2024-01-31T13:08:22Z
  • Made available on
    2024-01-31T13:08:22Z
  • Date of first publication
    2024-01-31
  • Abstract / Description
    Guilt, on the one hand, can be unpleasant and exhausting. On the other hand, it can also motivate individuals to, for example, make amends and repair broken social relationships. To understand this dual nature of guilt, this research turns to the concept of mimicry. Mimicry is defined as the unconscious imitation of behaviors and is widely recognized as a 'social glue' that plays a crucial role in forming and maintaining social relationships. A key question is whether mimicry could serve as an appliance for the sake of guilt release. A series of six studies (N = 414) reveals the opposite pattern: participants who were mimicked (compared to non-mimicked) felt more guilty. This outcome suggests that while mimicry generally fosters social connections, its interplay with emotions like guilt can be complex.
    en
  • Publication status
    acceptedVersion
  • Review status
    reviewed
  • Sponsorship
    Publication co-financed by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education core founding for statutory University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Faculty of Psychology, 221516/E-560/M/2018 granted to Paweł Muniak.
  • Citation
    Muniak, P., & Kulesza, W. (in press). The impact of mimicry behavior on guilt [Accepted manuscript]. Social Psychological Bulletin. https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.14129
  • ISSN
    2569-653X
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/9594
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.14129
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Publisher
    PsychArchives
  • Is version of
    https://doi.org/10.32872/spb.12697
  • Is related to
    https://osf.io/q3e6k/
  • Keyword(s)
    mimicry
  • Keyword(s)
    chameleon effect
  • Keyword(s)
    guilt
  • Keyword(s)
    mini-meta-analysis
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    The Impact of Mimicry Behavior on Guilt
    en
  • DRO type
    article
  • Journal title
    Social Psychological Bulletin
  • Visible tag(s)
    PsychOpen GOLD
  • Visible tag(s)
    Accepted Manuscript