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Mimicry and Modeling of Health(-Risk) Behaviors: How Others Impact Our Health(-Risk) Behaviors Without Our Awareness

Publication ,  Journal Article
Duffy, KA; Green, PA; Chartrand, TL
Published in: Journal of Nonverbal Behavior
March 1, 2020

When it comes to health(-risk) behaviors, researchers are apt to consider how to change behaviors from a top-down approach (i.e., using the conscious, reflective, deliberate system) even though much of human behavior is determined by bottom-up processes (i.e., the nonconscious, reflexive, impulsive system). Given that researchers have proposed that interventions that target nonconscious processes underlying health(-risk) behaviors may prove to be more effective than interventions that target conscious processes, we argue that understanding the ways in which mimicking and modeling affect health(-risk) behaviors is a critical—albeit largely unexplored—domain. In this paper, we review existing evidence that people mimic and model a broad range of health(-risk) behaviors: specifically, the cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, (un)healthy eating, and physical activity of others. We then discuss the neural and psychological mechanisms underlying these effects. Next, we outline moderators: specifically, we discuss when mimicking and modeling are more likely to occur, who is more likely to mimic and model, as well as who is more likely to be mimicked and modeled. Finally, we consider how mimicry and modeling could be used to leverage healthy behavioral change.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Journal of Nonverbal Behavior

DOI

EISSN

1573-3653

ISSN

0191-5886

Publication Date

March 1, 2020

Volume

44

Issue

1

Start / End Page

5 / 40

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Psychology
  • 5205 Social and personality psychology
  • 5204 Cognitive and computational psychology
  • 5201 Applied and developmental psychology
  • 1702 Cognitive Sciences
  • 1701 Psychology
 

Citation

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ICMJE
MLA
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Duffy, K. A., Green, P. A., & Chartrand, T. L. (2020). Mimicry and Modeling of Health(-Risk) Behaviors: How Others Impact Our Health(-Risk) Behaviors Without Our Awareness. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 44(1), 5–40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10919-019-00318-x
Duffy, K. A., P. A. Green, and T. L. Chartrand. “Mimicry and Modeling of Health(-Risk) Behaviors: How Others Impact Our Health(-Risk) Behaviors Without Our Awareness.” Journal of Nonverbal Behavior 44, no. 1 (March 1, 2020): 5–40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10919-019-00318-x.
Duffy KA, Green PA, Chartrand TL. Mimicry and Modeling of Health(-Risk) Behaviors: How Others Impact Our Health(-Risk) Behaviors Without Our Awareness. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2020 Mar 1;44(1):5–40.
Duffy, K. A., et al. “Mimicry and Modeling of Health(-Risk) Behaviors: How Others Impact Our Health(-Risk) Behaviors Without Our Awareness.” Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, vol. 44, no. 1, Mar. 2020, pp. 5–40. Scopus, doi:10.1007/s10919-019-00318-x.
Duffy KA, Green PA, Chartrand TL. Mimicry and Modeling of Health(-Risk) Behaviors: How Others Impact Our Health(-Risk) Behaviors Without Our Awareness. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2020 Mar 1;44(1):5–40.
Journal cover image

Published In

Journal of Nonverbal Behavior

DOI

EISSN

1573-3653

ISSN

0191-5886

Publication Date

March 1, 2020

Volume

44

Issue

1

Start / End Page

5 / 40

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Psychology
  • 5205 Social and personality psychology
  • 5204 Cognitive and computational psychology
  • 5201 Applied and developmental psychology
  • 1702 Cognitive Sciences
  • 1701 Psychology