Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Automatic mimicry is a type of social behavior where individuals unintentionally imitate gestures, behaviors, facial expressions, speech patterns, etc., of others.
These are neurons that fire both when performing an action and when observing someone else perform that action. They’re like built-in copy machines in our brain that replicate actions we see.
Empathy Gap: This refers to the difficulty people have understanding and predicting emotional states different from their current mood or situation. It’s like trying to remember how hungry you feel after Thanksgiving dinner while eating breakfast on a normal day.
Emotional Contagion: This is the phenomenon of having one person's emotions and related behaviors directly trigger similar emotions and behaviors in other people. It’s like when one person starts laughing, and soon everyone else is laughing too.