The Use of Mimicry to Promote Vaccination Uptake
摘要
This chapter focuses on mimicry, that is, unconscious imitation of another person’s behaviors, and its role in enhancing communication between doctors and patients by fostering trust, rapport, and mutual understanding. Attention is paid to the context of vaccination, where mimicry is hypothesized as a potential technique for enhancing the quality of interaction and, consequently, promoting vaccine-related communication. Furthermore, the chapter introduces a novel mimicry research direction: recent findings show that persons who are being mimicked during an interaction are perceived by third-party observers as more effective in promoting vaccination than those who are mimicking others, regardless of vaccine type or third-party observers’ prior attitudes toward vaccination. Practical recommendations regarding the potential use of mimicry in medical practice and public health campaigns related to vaccination are discussed.