Mimicry boosts social bias: unrealistic optimism in a health prevention case

Unrealistic optimism bias appears when a person perceives oneself - in comparison to peers - as less at risk from threats. This bias has been widely reported and the consequences are clear: it puts one's health in danger. The existing body of literature proposes egocentrism as a mechanism leading to a reduction in this bias. The present paper tests a novel mechanism orienting a person toward others - thus linked with egocentrism - i.e., mimicry. Results showed directly opposing effects: mimicry induced a stronger tendency to perceive oneself as less threatened. This result is not only surprising but especially alarming since mimicry may be used in patient-doctor dialogue which may backfire, leading to resistance to medical recommendations provided by the doctor.

Automated summary

Unrealistic optimism bias occurs when individuals perceive themselves as less at risk from threats compared to their peers. This bias has been widely documented and poses a significant danger to one's health. Existing research suggests egocentrism as a mechanism to reduce this bias. However, this study introduces a novel mechanism, mimicry, which surprisingly results in a stronger tendency to perceive oneself as less threatened. This finding is alarming as mimicry may be employed in patient-doctor dialogues, potentially leading to resistance towards medical recommendations.