Social Imitation

Human do not only imitate to acquire skill, but also as a fundamental part of social interaction. Humans mimic each other’s postures, moods, gestures and accents. Social mimicry is often automatic and mostly unconscious. It promotes social affiliation and group belonging. In human infants social mimicry is consciously practiced in playful interactions and an important part of early socialization. We investigate the social dimensions of imitation in human children and all 4 non-human great ape species. For more information please contact Yvonne Rekers.