There is a common perception that as people spend more time together, they begin to act and think more alike. This synchrony -- interdependence -- means that peoples' cognitive functioning influences others in the group.
In a recent paper, it was found that in married couples this influence remained even after the death of a spouse.
They might even start to look more alike. So why couldn't it happen to people in the same office? We were sitting in a meeting at the American Council on Science and Health office when we noticed the clothing in the picture below. And our new intern, Mary Gillis, doctoral student at Columbia University, has only been here four days. Imagine how similar she and Dr. Gil Ross might seem after 3 months!
