Like-minded: Why We Imitate Those Around Us

Have you ever noticed yourself picking up the habits, expressions, or attitudes of the people around you?

In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore the Chameleon Effect — the tendency to unconsciously mirror the behaviour of others. We look at how the people we spend time with can influence the way we speak, act, and see the world, often without us even realising it.

But if we naturally become more like the people around us, how much does our environment shape who we become? Discover how social influence can quietly affect our behaviour — and why choosing the people we surround ourselves with may matter more than we think.

Studies and links

• The Chameleon Effect: The Perception-Behavior Link and Social Interaction | Tanya L. Chartrand and John A. Bargh | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1999, Vol 76, No.6, 893-910
• Chameleon Effect | The Decision Lab