Conventions become habits through unconscious early-life mimicry of peers

Evidence

At first, conventions regulate our behavior at a conscious level, but over time, they take on their second power through internalization. In belonging to a community—especially as children—we absorb the dominant conventions of our groups. The anthropologist Ruth Benedict explains, “The life-history of the individual is first and foremost an accommodation to the patterns and standards traditionally handed down in his community.” We learn conventions from our family and friends through the chameleon effect, where we unconsciously mimic our peers in body movements and speech. We learn that these behaviors are associated with certain meanings and values: what’s right, what’s wrong, what goes with what. This process converts conventions into habits. — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 130

Categorization

• SEED: The chameleon effect converting conventions to automatic habit could seed a short essay on how unconscious mimicry installs class markers.
• XREF: connects to: Born members embody status knowledge unconsciously while upstarts must learn it deliberately — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 158; Conscious social identity can change while influences stay unconscious — Brandon Randolph-Seng, Darcy A. Reich, and Kenneth G. DeMarree, On the Nonconscious Antecedents of…, 37; Most behavioral coding is acquired unconsciously during childhood socialization (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Most behavioral coding is acquired unconsciously during childhood socialization #corroborates (0.90)
• Conscious social identity can change while influences stay unconscious #expands (0.85) — Brandon Randolph-Seng, Darcy A. Reich, and Kenneth G. DeMarree, On the Nonconscious Antecedents of…, 37