Social or Group Contagion

Social or group contagion is the spread of behaviors, emotions, and attitudes from one person to another within a social group or network, often through imitation, conformity, or mimicry. Unconscious mechanisms of social contagion can be imitation and mimicry (acting like others, mirroring facial expressions, body language, or speech patterns) and conformity (adopting behaviors/attitudes to fit in or avoid social disapproval). Examples: Yawning, laughing, smiling can be contagious, as are trends and fads. Emotions easily spread through social interactions. Contagious attitudes and beliefs canlead to groupthink or the adoption of certain viewpoints. Also see Emotional Contagion