Learning the rules: observation and imitation of a sorting strategy by 36-month-old children.
Two experiments were used to investigate the scope of imitation by testing whether 36-month-olds can learn to produce a categorization strategy through observation. After witnessing an adult sort a set of objects by a visible property (their color; Experiment 1) or a nonvisible property (the particular sounds produced when the objects were shaken; Experiment 2), children showed significantly more sorting by those dimensions relative to children in control groups, including a control in which children saw the sorted endstate but not the intentional sorting demonstration. The results show that 36-month-olds can do more than imitate the literal behaviors they see; they also abstract and imitate rules that they see another person use.
Williamson
Rebecca A
RA
Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, PO Box 5010, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA. rawillia@gsu.edu
Jaswal
Vikram K
VK
Meltzoff
Andrew N
AN
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003210:Concept Formation / Q000502:physiology*; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007100:Imitative Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D019370:Observation; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology*