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Deceptive mimicry in humans| old_uid | 223 |
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| title | Deceptive mimicry in humans |
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| start_date | 2005/11/22 |
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| schedule | 17h-19h |
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| online | no |
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| summary | In S.Hurley and N. Chater (eds.), Perspective on Imitation: From Cognitive Neuroscience to Social Science, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, volume II, 2005.
Passing off either as a different individual or as a member of a group to which one does not belong is a common deceptive strategy. Adopting the term used in biology, I shall call it deceptive mimicry. Mimicry is employed in order to achieve aggressive or defensive goals. Most species, viruses and plants included, are either victims of it, perpetrators or both. Humans are second to none. Unlike other organisms, they can play the game intentionally and strategically rather than through natural selection. They do not just play it with other species as most other animals do but against each other. And the vast range of signs, on which humans can rely in order to identify themselves as individuals or as group members, and thereby transmit reputational information efficiently, gives them equally vast opportunities for mimicry manipulations. The study of mimicry is crucial for answering a fundamental question in the social sciences: how can human communications remain viable in spite of the ever-present threat of deception? |
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| responsibles | <not specified> |
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