Children’s synchrony and rhythmicity in imitation of peers: Toward a developmental model of empathy

Abstract

The main mechanisms of children’s imitative exchanges with peers are highlighted here through a developmental approach taking into account the importance of rhythmicity and synchrony. We focused on spontaneous motor imitation to describe a playful dynamic that is paradoxical: in the experience of play in which roles are not clearly distributed, mutual discovery of the self and others gradually arises. From an integrative perspective, this form of interaction, produced by positional reversal and turn taking, is apprehended through two axis. On the temporal plan, it can be considered as a rhythmic pattern with repetition and synchrony. Moreover, these mutual exchanges between the self and others challenge visuo-spatial abilities in children who must be able to change their reference point through an operation of mental rotation. Based on this description of the intersubjective experience produced through a succession of spatial and symbolic viewpoint changes, a developmental model of empathy is offered and discussed. According to this model, the capacity of empathy has two dimensions, emotional and cognitive, and is understood as a process involved in child development. In this article, we propose that empathy is more than the “mere” capacity of decentration corresponding to the acquisition of a theory of mind. It involves an individual in relationship with others and who has the ability to integrate perspectives.