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Updated: Nov 21, 2025
06:35
Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm
Published on: April 28, 2016
34.8K
No Compelling Evidence That Newborns Imitate Oral Gestures
Moshe Anisfeld1, Gerald Turkewitz2, Susan A Rose3
1Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology and Albert Einstein College of Medicine Yeshiva University.
Summary
Neonatal imitation research is challenged as newborns showed more tongue protrusions (TP) when imitating TP gestures than mouth opening (MO) gestures. However, MO imitation showed no significant difference, questioning early imitation abilities.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Neonatal Behavior
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Neonatal imitation, the ability of newborns to mimic facial expressions, is a debated topic.
- Previous studies suggest newborns can imitate tongue protrusion (TP) and mouth opening (MO).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether newborns imitate tongue protrusion (TP) and mouth opening (MO) gestures.
- To test the neonatal imitation hypothesis by comparing responses to TP and MO stimuli.
Main Methods:
- Eighty-three newborns were exposed to three conditions: TP, MO, and a control (CO).
- A female model alternated between demonstrating gestures (TP or MO) and a passive face.
- Infant eye-opening was monitored to assess attention to the gestures.
Main Results:
- Newborns showed increased eye-opening during gesture demonstration, indicating attention.
- Infants produced more TP responses than MO responses during the TP condition.
- No significant difference in response types was observed during the MO condition.
Conclusions:
- The findings partially support neonatal imitation for TP but not for MO.
- The results challenge the broad neonatal imitation hypothesis, suggesting modality-specific imitation abilities.
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