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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 11, 2026

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

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

Published on: April 28, 2016

Can newborn infants imitate?

¹Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.

Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Cognitive Science

|December 2, 2016

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Newborn imitation is not innate. Current data challenge theories of inborn mechanisms, suggesting imitation develops gradually through multiple factors in infancy.

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

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Published on: October 4, 2015

Area of Science:

Cognitive Science
Developmental Psychology
Neuroscience

Background:

For decades, scientists believed newborns imitate adult actions like mouth movements.
This imitation ability in newborns has been difficult to explain mechanistically.
Existing theories proposed innate mechanisms linking observed actions to motor programs.

Purpose of the Study:

To review current data challenging the existence of innate imitation mechanisms in newborns.
To propose an alternative, multicausal explanation for the development of imitation.
To explore how infants learn to map observed actions to their own motor programs.

Main Methods:

Review of existing scientific literature and data.
Critical analysis of prominent theories on infant imitation.
Synthesis of evidence to support a developmental perspective.

Main Results:

Current data do not support the existence of an inborn mechanism for imitation in newborns.
The ability to link seen actions with motor programs is not pre-programmed.
Evidence suggests imitation develops gradually over infancy.

Conclusions:

The traditional view of innate newborn imitation is challenged by current evidence.
A multicausal developmental model offers a more comprehensive explanation for imitation.
Understanding imitation requires considering the evolving interplay of sensory and motor systems.