The echo effect. The power of verbal mimicry to influence prosocial behavior
Authors:
- Wojciech Kulesza,
- Dariusz Doliński,
- Avia Huisman,
- Robert Majewski
Abstract
Research on the chameleon effect has demonstrated that social benefits, such as liking, safety, rapport, affiliation, and cohesion can be evoked through nonverbal imitation (e.g., body language and mannerisms). Herein, we introduce the echo effect, a less researched phenomenon of verbal mimicry, in a real-world setting. Study participants, 330 currency exchange office customers, were assigned into one of three experimental and two control conditions. Careful attention to research design produced results that address issues raised in the mimicry literature and more clearly define the boundaries of verbal mimicry. The results demonstrate that while repetition of words is important in increasing an individual’s tendency to perform prosocial behaviors, the order in which they are repeated back is not; verbal mimicry is more powerful mechanism than dialogue; and, for nonmimicry control conditions, no response produces the same result as a brief response.
- Record ID
- IMPORT-ARTICLE-00014171
- Author
- Journal series
- Journal of Language and Social Psychology, ISSN 0261-927X
- Issue year
- 2014
- Vol
- 33
- No
- 2
- Pages
- 183-201
- Publication size in sheets
- 0.90
- Keywords in English
- communication accommodation theory, contact, conversational analysis, emotions, intonation, research method, silencing, speech rate
- ASJC Classification
- ; ; ; ; ;
- DOI
- DOI:10.1177/0261927X13506906 opening in a new tab
- URL
- http://jls.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/10/11/0261927X13506906 opening in a new tab
- Language
- (en) English
- File
-
- File: 1
- 3. Doliński Kulesza the echo effect JLSP 2014.pdf
-
- Score (nominal)
- 35
- Publication indicators
- : 2014 = 1.250; : 2014 = 1.020 (2) - 2014=1.772 (5); = 66
- Citation count
- 69
- Additional fields
- Dorobek Naukowy - Preview URL: http://dn.swps.edu.pl/Podglad.aspx?WpisID=14171
- Dorobek Naukowy - Approve URL: http://dn.swps.edu.pl/Biuro/ZatwierdzanieWpisu.aspx?WpisID=14171
- Dorobek Naukowy - Preview URL: http://dn.swps.edu.pl/Podglad.aspx?WpisID=14541
- Dorobek Naukowy - Approve URL: http://dn.swps.edu.pl/Biuro/ZatwierdzanieWpisu.aspx?WpisID=14541
Share
- Uniform Resource Identifier
- http://192.168.13.97/info/article/IMPORT-ARTICLE-00014171/
* presented citation count is obtained through Internet information analysis and it is close to the number calculated by the Publish or Perishopening in a new tab system.