Seeing eye to eye is key to copying

Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery but how do our brains decide when and who we should copy? Researchers from The University of Nottingham have found that the key may lie in an unspoken invitation communicated through eye. In a study published this week in the Journal of Neuroscience, a team of scientists from the University's School of Psychology show that eye seems to act as an invitation for mimicry, triggering mechanisms in the frontal region of the brain that control imitation. The results could be the first clues to understanding why some people, such as children with autism, struggle to grasp when they are expected to copy the actions of others in social situations. Antonia Hamilton, who led the research, said: "Many studies have looked at copying and imitation in terms of 'mirror neurons', which are believed to be specialised parts of the human brain that implement imitation. However, we also know that imitation is carefully controlled — people don't imitate everything they see, and only copy what's important. "Our previous research has shown that when somebody makes eye with you, you are more likely to copy them. So eye seems to act as a message that says "Copy me now".