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标题：Third-Party Preferences for Imitators in Preverbal Infants
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作者：Lindsey J. Powell ; Elizabeth S. Spelke
期刊名称：Open Mind
电子版ISSN：2470-2986
出版年度：2017
卷号：1
期号：4
页码：183-193
DOI：10.1162/opmi_a_00018
摘要：Participants in social interactions often imitate one another, thereby enhancing their affiliation. Here we probe the nature and early development of imitation-based affiliation through studies of infants’ preferences for animated characters who imitate, or are imitated by, other characters. Four experiments provide evidence that preverbal infants preferentially attend to and approach individuals who imitate others. This preferential engagement is elicited by the elements of mimicry in simple acts of helping. It does not, however, extend to the targets of imitation in these interactions. This set of findings suggests infants’ imitation-based preferences are not well explained by homophily, prestige, or familiarity. We propose instead that infants perceive imitation as an indicator of valuable attributes in a potential social partner, including the capacity and motivation for social attention and coordinated action.
关键词：imitation; social cognition; infancy