Aug 28, 2026 05:45 PM
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1141932
EXCERPTS: Tobacco addiction is one of the major factors leading to preventable adult deaths worldwide. That is why researchers from SWPS University decided to investigate whether mimicry, a phenomenon also known as the "chameleon effect," in which people mimic each other’s mannerisms, words, and even facial expressions depicting emotions and moods, could support quitting. It turns out that while smoking has long been considered a habit with a strong social basis, recent experiments show that the mechanism behind this phenomenon is mimicry, not the mere presence of others.
[...] The results showed that mimicry previously led to an increased cigarette consumption. We assumed that, consistently with the "social glue" hypothesis, copying movements increases liking for the person who mimics us. In the experiment, this induced sense of connection that acted as a dangerous and unhealthy catalyst for increased tobacco use, says the lead author of the study, social psychologist Professor Wojciech Kulesza, PhD, head of the Department of Social Psychology at the Faculty of Psychology, SWPS University in Warsaw.
[...] The researchers point out that mimicry can help therapists develop more effective intervention strategies. Understanding this phenomenon is also crucial for improving the effectiveness of anti-smoking campaigns. Fighting addiction requires a holistic approach that combines social and environmental strategies with traditional psychological and biological methods of coping with tobacco addiction.
The authors of the paper propose, for example, transforming communal smoking areas into single-person spaces. The lack of contact with others eliminates the phenomenon of mimicry and weakens the bonds that perpetuate the addiction. Educating smokers about the role of mimicry in maintaining nicotine addiction is also important.
"The results of our experiments have significant practical implications, particularly for addiction treatment professionals. They show that while smokers whose smoking behaviour was mimicked were more likely to switch to e-cigarettes (which are considered a healthier alternative), they were less likely to quit smoking altogether than participants from the control group. This highlights the complex interplay of psychological, social and environmental factors in behaviours associated with this addiction," emphasises Wojciech Kulesza from SWPS University... (MORE - missing details, no ads)
EXCERPTS: Tobacco addiction is one of the major factors leading to preventable adult deaths worldwide. That is why researchers from SWPS University decided to investigate whether mimicry, a phenomenon also known as the "chameleon effect," in which people mimic each other’s mannerisms, words, and even facial expressions depicting emotions and moods, could support quitting. It turns out that while smoking has long been considered a habit with a strong social basis, recent experiments show that the mechanism behind this phenomenon is mimicry, not the mere presence of others.
[...] The results showed that mimicry previously led to an increased cigarette consumption. We assumed that, consistently with the "social glue" hypothesis, copying movements increases liking for the person who mimics us. In the experiment, this induced sense of connection that acted as a dangerous and unhealthy catalyst for increased tobacco use, says the lead author of the study, social psychologist Professor Wojciech Kulesza, PhD, head of the Department of Social Psychology at the Faculty of Psychology, SWPS University in Warsaw.
[...] The researchers point out that mimicry can help therapists develop more effective intervention strategies. Understanding this phenomenon is also crucial for improving the effectiveness of anti-smoking campaigns. Fighting addiction requires a holistic approach that combines social and environmental strategies with traditional psychological and biological methods of coping with tobacco addiction.
The authors of the paper propose, for example, transforming communal smoking areas into single-person spaces. The lack of contact with others eliminates the phenomenon of mimicry and weakens the bonds that perpetuate the addiction. Educating smokers about the role of mimicry in maintaining nicotine addiction is also important.
"The results of our experiments have significant practical implications, particularly for addiction treatment professionals. They show that while smokers whose smoking behaviour was mimicked were more likely to switch to e-cigarettes (which are considered a healthier alternative), they were less likely to quit smoking altogether than participants from the control group. This highlights the complex interplay of psychological, social and environmental factors in behaviours associated with this addiction," emphasises Wojciech Kulesza from SWPS University... (MORE - missing details, no ads)
