April 24, 2012 | Elise

During a horror film, I’m the one with my eyes shut and fingers in my ears. Why does the villain send a chill down my spine? It may be a lack of imitation.

When chatting with friends we naturally imitate each other – picking up an accent, say, or folding arms at the same time. This helps to develop a bond. A study has shown that not doing this can make other people feel physically colder in your presence.

This is important for understanding behaviour and how emotions affect us physically, and gives us some good friend-making tips!