This is a great review of some recent research on “mirroring” (or copying others’ body language). Older studies confirmed that people who are romantically interested in each other, or in romantic relationships, mirror each other’s nonverbal behaviors. Mistaking correlation (two things occurring together, regardless of cause) for causality (when one occurrence actually causes another), many have misinterpreted these results. For years now, people have been encouraged to copy body language in social situations such as flirting, job interviews, etc. ScienceDaily reviews an upcoming paper in the prestigious journal Psychological Science in which the authors dispute this advice.

Give it a read:

The benefits of body-language mimicry have been confirmed by numerous psychological studies. And in popular culture, mirroring is frequently urged on people as a strategy — for flirting or having a successful date, for closing a sale or acing a job interview. But new research suggests that mirroring may not always lead to positive social outcomes. In fact, sometimes the smarter thing to do is to refrain.

Read the rest of the post at the original site, and be sure to visit ScienceDaily: Relationship News!