How infectious is human behaviour? (Bridging the Gap, University of Strathlyde)

We assume that our behaviour is entirely under our conscious control. However, evidence indicates that our ability to exercise conscious, intentional control over our behaviour is quite limited. We know that humans mimic the behaviour of others and that we do this without any conscious awareness. This suggests that our behaviour is infectious and might be regarded as a contagion. Epidemiologists have built mathematical models to understand the spread of infections, such as influenza, within populations. In this study we examine whether these models can also be used to understand the transmission of human behaviour.