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Updated: May 7, 2026

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm
Published on: April 28, 2016
The relation between mirror self-image reactions and imitation in 14- and 18-month-old infants
Norbert Zmyj1, Wolfgang Prinz, Moritz M Daum
1Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Abstract:
Previous research suggests that sensitivity to aspects of the self and others develop in tandem. We tested 14- and 18-month-olds' imitative abilities and mirror self-image reactions (i.e., testing behavior and passing the mark test). Results showed that 14-month-olds' imitation was closely related to the occurrence of testing behavior in front of the mirror, where they checked whether they could control the movements of the mirror image. Eighteen-month-olds, however, no longer showed this relation. Furthermore, in 18-month-olds, we found a high association between imitation and passing the mark test. These correlations suggest that infants' mirror self-image reactions and imitation share the ability to detect and produce visual-motor contingencies.
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