Automatic Imitation of Multiple Agents

Despite the vast and growing literature on automatic imitation, only little is known about automatic imitation in situations with multiple agents. Instead, the large majority of research focuses on dyadic interactions, where one person interacts with a single other person. This is surprising, because such dyadic interactions make up only a small part of social life. In this chapter, I will summarize recent research on automatic imitation beyond the dyad. More specifically, I will discuss four questions: Does automatic imitation change as a function of group size? What happens when individuals in the group perform different or conflicting actions? What is the mechanism underlying automatic imitation of multiple agents? And does being part of a group change automatic imitation of groups? Overall, the evidence converges on the idea that imitation is simultaneously informed by the different agents in our surrounding. However, many questions still remain, and answering them will be key to better understand the processes underlying automatic imitation in more complex social settings.