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Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm
Published on: April 28, 2016
Variations in 10-month-old infant imitation of people and things
Maria Legerstee1, Gabriela Markova
1York University, Toronto, Canada. legerste@yorku.ca
Abstract:
To explore 10-month-old infants' abilities to engage in intentional imitation, they were shown a human agent, a non-human agent (stuffed animal), and a surrogate object (mechanical pincers) model actions on objects. The tendency of infants to perform the target act was compared in several situations: (a) after test items were manipulated but the target action was not shown, (b) after the target act was demonstrated successfully, and (c) after the target act was demonstrated unsuccessfully. Although infants imitated the successful actions of human and non-human agents, they completed the unsuccessful actions of humans only. Toward the surrogate object infants did not respond differentially. These findings suggest that although infant may mimic the actions of human and non-human agents, they only engage in intentional imitation with people.
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