Humans are social beings, hardwired to navigate complex interactions through signals that communicate our internal states. Of all the channels we use to perceive emotion, the human face is arguably the most powerful and immediate.
Inbal Ravreby, the study's first author, noted that "People mimicked each other no matter what facial expression we tested, no matter if they agreed or disagreed, or if they were Republicans or Democrats." This highlights the intriguing universality of mimicry across political divides.