Being Mimicked Increases Prosocial Behavior in 18-Month-Old Infants

Malinda Carpenter · Johanna Uebel · Michael Tomasello

163 citations0/0 files storedChild Development

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Child and Animal Learning Development Social Robot Interaction and HRI Action Observation and Synchronization

Abstract

Most previous research on imitation in infancy has focused on infants' learning of instrumental actions on objects. This study focused instead on the more social side of imitation, testing whether being mimicked increases prosocial behavior in infants, as it does in adults (van Baaren, Holland, Kawakami, & van Knippenberg, 2004). Eighteen-month-old infants (N = 48) were either mimicked or not by an experimenter; then either that experimenter or a different adult needed help. Infants who had previously been mimicked were significantly more likely to help both adults than infants who had not been mimicked. Thus, even in infancy, mimicry has positive social consequences: It promotes a general prosocial orientation toward others.

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1999The chameleon effect: The perception–behavior link and social interaction.2008Analyzing Linguistic Data 1987The relation of empathy to prosocial and related behaviors.2006Altruistic Helping in Human Infants and Young Chimpanzees 2003Using Nonconscious Behavioral Mimicry to Create Affiliation and Rapport 2003The Chameleon Effect as Social Glue: Evidence for the Evolutionary Significance of Nonconscious Mimicry 2007Helping and Cooperation at 14 Months of Age 2004Mimicry and Prosocial Behavior

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