Imitation Is Not Just Simple Copying
Our behavior is, often subtly, brought in line with the behavior of another person.
Again from this paper:
Twenty years of research in the social cognition domain have revealed two important psychological processes that are central to our understanding of social perception. First, we generate trait inferences on the basis of the behavior of others. Such inferences can of course not be perceived literally, but are made upon the perception of behavior that is present and observed in the current environment. Importantly, inferences are made automatically upon perception of the observable act. Upon hearing that "Nick volunteered to read the paper of someone who could not show up at the conference," we automatically translate this concrete behavior into an abstract personality trait. We draw the conclusion that Nick is a helpful person. We make such trait inferences spontaneously, unconsciously, and continuously, making them an integral part of everyday social perception.
Second, in social perceptions, social stereotypes are automatically activated. When we see a person, we automatically categorize that person as a member of his or her group, and we usually activate the stereotypes associated with that group. . . .
These activated traits and stereotypes lead to imitation as well. Traits and stereotypes do not evoke imitation in the sense that a perceiver exactly copies the behavior of the person observed. Rather, a process of behavioral adjustment ensues, in which behavior or behavioral patterns are, often subtly, brought more in line with the behavior of another person.
