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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm
06:35

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm

Published on: April 28, 2016

Executive functioning and imitation: Increasing working memory load facilitates behavioural imitation.

Matthijs L van Leeuwen1, Rick B van Baaren, Douglas Martin

  • 1Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands. m.vanleeuwen@bsi.ru.nl

Neuropsychologia
|June 23, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

We tend to imitate others automatically. However, executive functioning (EF) helps inhibit this imitation. This study shows that occupying working memory (WM) impairs EF, making imitation more likely.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Psychology
  • Motor Control

Background:

  • Perceptual and motor systems are closely linked, suggesting automatic imitation.
  • The role of executive functioning (EF) in inhibiting imitation is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if executive functioning (EF) modulates the tendency for automatic imitation.
  • To determine the effect of working memory (WM) load on imitation inhibition.

Main Methods:

  • 48 participants performed finger movement tasks under high or low working memory (WM) load.
  • Cues were either spatial or finger-specific to elicit different responses.

Main Results:

  • High WM load facilitated reaction times to finger cues, suggesting increased imitation.
  • Responses to spatial cues were unaffected by WM load.

Conclusions:

  • Imitation is a dominant, automatic response.
  • Executive functioning (EF) is crucial for inhibiting the spontaneous tendency to imitate actions.