New research demonstrates that children’s ability to imitate stems from being imitated by their caregivers in early childhood. This parent-child interaction of mutual imitation fosters the child’s imitation skills by 18 months, highlighting the vital role of early social interactions in cognitive development.indicates that infants learn to mimic others as they are themselves mirrored by their caregivers.
Markus Paulus, Chair of Developmental Psychology and Educational Psychology at LMU, demonstrates that the ability has its roots in earliest childhood. “Children acquire their ability to imitate because they themselves are imitated by their caregivers”For the study, the researchers looked at the interaction between mother and child over several months. The babies came into the lab for the first time at the age of 6 months, while their final visit was when they were 18 months old.
In the interaction between parents and children, mutual imitation is a sign of communication. Parents respond to the signals given by the child and reflect and amplify them. A mutual imitation of actions and gestures develops. “These experiences create connections between what the child feels and does on the one hand and what it sees on the other. Associations are formed.
In addition, the study sheds light on what makes humans social beings, namely that our individual abilities only develop through interaction with others. Indeed, they owe their existence to the particular way in which humans raise their young.
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