title: Imitative flexibility and the development of cultural learning.
abstract: Two studies test the hypothesis that imitative fidelity is influenced by cues to interpret behavior as instrumental versus conventional. Study 1 (N=57, 4-5-yr-olds) manipulated non-verbal cues (start- and end-states of action sequences) and Study 2 (N=211, 4-6-yr-olds) manipulated verbal cues to examine the effects of information about instrumental versus conventional goals on imitative fidelity. Imitative fidelity was highest (Studies 1 and 2), innovation was lowest (Study 1), and difference detection was more accurate (Study 2) when cued with information about conventional rather than instrumental behavior. The results provide novel insight into the kinds of information children use to adjudicate between instrumental and conventional behavior.
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas at Austin, United States. Electronic address: legare@austin.utexas.edu.
authors.forename: Cristine H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Legare
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas at Austin, United States.
authors.forename: Nicole J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas at Austin, United States.
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.affiliation: University of Oxford, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Harvey
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Whitehouse
mesh_terms: D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003463:Cues; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D007100:Imitative Behavior; D008297:Male; D012919:Social Behavior; D000067570:Social Learning; D014705:Verbal Behavior
keywords: Causal reasoning; Cognitive development; Cultural learning; Imitation; Imitative flexibility; Innovation; Ritual; Social cognition; Social convention