Chapter 11 - An Analysis of Imitative Learning in Animals

Abstract

The term imitation is used to identify phenomenon ranging from morphological similarity which appears to be under total control of natural selection, to complex symbolic modeling, requiring intention or purpose in which imitator exaggerates the actions of the demonstrator for purposes of humor. In the case of children brought up in an industrial culture, one could argue that extensive exposure to mirrors has allowed them to experience the correlation between proprioceptive cues and visual cues seen by others. There has been much discussion of the meaning of self-recognition through mirror exposure but little research has dealt with the role of self-recognition in imitative learning. For a variety of reasons, animal imitation research has not always been well received in the field of animal learning and behavior. First, the broad range of phenomena to which it is applied has given the impression that it may not be a useful psychological concept. Second, the large number of alternative accounts of learning through observation, and the inconsistent use of terminology, make isolation of true imitation from simpler processes appear impossible. Third, the assumption that true imitation involves intentionality, a phenomenon that cannot be directly measured, suggests that it is an intractable concept.