Body Language of Mirroring or Isopraxis
Cue: Mirroring or Isopraxis
Synonym(s): Isopraxis, Synchrony.
Description: In the simplest form, mirroring is copying or echoing the gestures, postures, movements, muscle tension, expressions, voice tonality, breathing, tempo and eye movements of someone else.
In One Sentence: Mirroring is a type of nonverbal behaviour which signals agreement and like-mindedness.
How To Use it: Mirroring has been shown to be highly affective in creating strong bonds and agreement. Mirroring finds its place in business and friendship. Research has found that those who tend to mirror each other most, tend to produce the best creative solutions to problems. Therefore, you might use mirroring in order to show others agreement and help produce cohesion.
In dating, mirroring shows intimacy. Doing so purposely can be used to grow a relationship faster than otherwise possible.
Mirroring should be done subtly and does not always have to be done synchronously or exactly. In fact, doing so can make people feel uncomfortable.
In business, as in other relationships, mirroring will create liking and trust. This can produce desired results especially when these feelings are important.
Context: a) General b) Dating.
Verbal Translation: “Look at us, we’re all on the same page, we act the same, therefore we are in agreement and forming rapport.”
Variant: N/A.
Cue In Action: a) In ancient times, mirroring would have created group cohesion and identity. Sports groups, riot officers, firemen, and a myriad of occupations all wear the same uniform. It is this dress that formulates the beginnings of the behaviour that eventually leads to a group’s ability to function in unison.
Imagine if policemen all showed up in different dress and tried to control a crowd. To the rioters, they would seem as if they were rogue rioters themselves which would only exacerbate the problem. The rioters would identify the policemen as part of their group instead of part of the police group, which would only lead to additional chaos.
b) As they interacted at the edge of the bar, the couple began to imitate each other’s postures and cues. They each had one leg on the rail of the bar, one hand on the bar top and one hand on their drink. Nearing the end of the night, they laughed in unison, drank in unison, preened in unison. They were in synchrony and the romance was growing.
Meaning and/or Motivation: Mirroring also called “isopraxis” from the Greek iso meaning same and praxis, meaning behaviour. Mirroring is one of the most important aspects of building empathy with people as it establishes common ground and is akin to a communication dance. Mirroring can cut so deep that breathing, blinking, and even our heart rates can beat in unison. Mirroring is such a profound quality of social animals as a whole. Mirroring plays an important part in the ‘mating dance’ as couples interact and build rapport.
Mirroring happens naturally between people we like and with whom have formed a connection. Mirroring is as important to lifelong friends as to strangers meeting for the first time, since mirroring is a way to test and maintain the level of rapport being established between two people or groups of people. When full mirroring appears it is as if each person is looking into a mirror and seeing their reflection. When full mirroring happens, it indicates a high level or rapport, or connectivity between people.
We mirror as a form of bonding with one another, and it happens without our conscious awareness. Children learn to imitate our facial expressions and quickly graduate to imitating our body positions, and then later they imitate us as we carry out tasks. If you’ve even driven with a youngster, you’ve watched them pretend to drive with their arms up, rocking the wheel left and right, or working the stick shift. Imitation has been said to be the greatest form of flattery and in mirroring this is the case.
Mirroring applies to almost every walk of life, in every office or business across the planet. We act and dress a certain way even when we are relaxing with friends. When we go to concerts we clap, sing, stand and drink together. Mirroring says that we are on the same page. It’s like saying look at the two of us, we walk the same, talk the same and our bodies move in unison, therefore we must agree.
Cue Cluster: N/A
Body Language Category: Inborn behaviours, Indicator of interest (IoI), Indicators of sexual interest (IOsI), Liking, Rapport or rapport building.
Resources:
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