Schematic diagram of experimental procedure.

Before the study session, participants completed an online questionnaire assessing demographic information as well as measuring personality traits that have been known to predict mimicry. When participants arrived for the study session, they were randomized to receive either active stimulation or sham stimulation to the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ). Immediately following stimulation, participants interacted with a confederate in a 10-minute task that involved describing photos to one another. While they interacted, the confederate constantly touched her hair and face. The amount of time that participants touched their hair and face was measured by filming participants before the confederate was brought in (baseline) as well at while interacting with the confederate. The ratio of time spent touching hair and face during the social interaction relative to baseline was computed as a measure of how much the participant mimicked the confederate.