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The ghost condition: imitation versus emulation in young children's observational learning.
Doreen E Thompson1, James Russell
1Department of Psychology, U Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland. d.thompson@strath.ac.uk
Developmental Psychology
|September 10, 2004
Summary
Children learn through imitation and emulation. A study found that observing an object
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Child Development
Background:
- Observational learning in children can occur via imitation or emulation.
- Emulation involves learning an object's dynamic affordances, as termed by M. Tomasello (1996).
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relative contributions of imitation and emulation in children's observational learning.
- To compare the effectiveness of a 'ghost' condition versus standard modeling.
Main Methods:
- A study involved 14- to 26-month-old children.
- The 'ghost' condition demonstrated object actions without human agency.
- A standard modeling procedure involved an experimenter demonstrating actions.
Main Results:
- The 'ghost' condition was as effective as the modeling condition in promoting observational learning.
- Children performed significantly better in the 'ghost' condition.
Conclusions:
- Emulation plays a significant role in the development of observational learning.
- This suggests goal-directedness can occur without direct agency observation.