The relation between temperament and imitation in the second year of life.

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Norbert Zmyj
• Subject Area: Developmental and Educational Psychology
• Term: from 2017 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 350964017

Imitation is a fundamental human ability that allows the transmission of a large range of cultural knowledge. Acquiring knowledge via imitation is an important learning mechanism because it is faster and less risky than acquiring knowledge via trial and error. Furthermore, imitation allows a non-verbal way of interacting and communicating with others. Investigating the development of imitation has become a hot topic in developmental psychology. The performance in imitation tasks has been predominantly interpreted in the context of a cognitive development which suggests that the probability of imitation is equal in infants with the same level of cognitive development. In contrast, empirical findings show substantial interindividual differences in imitative abilities in infants with the same level of cognitive development. Previous research on imitation has paid little attention to the role of social interaction and communication in imitation. In young children, temperament describes the disposition to engage in social interaction. The temperament dimensions attention and distractibility which are the foundation of perceiving and encoding target action in imitation tasks. Approach and avoidance are influenced by temperament dimension like sociability, shyness and behavioral inhibition that have obvious consequences for imitative behavior. In this longitudinal project, we will investigate the relation between temperament and imitation in the second year of life. Therefore, we will assess temperament, the level of cognitive development, and imitation with standardized tests. Temperament will be assessed by observing the behavior in the laboratory as well as by questionnaires for parents. The level of cognitive development will be measured by the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development. Imitation will be assessed via the Frankfurt Imitation Test. Furthermore, we will use eye tracking in order to follow the young children*s looking behavior when observing the target action in the imitation test. In order to detect the stability and plasticity of the relation between temperament and imitation, we will conduct a longitudinal study in which one cohort of children aged 12, 18, and 24 months are tested. These results expand our knowledge about young children*s imitation by focusing on various aspects of the cognitive as well as of the social development and, thus, by explaining differences in imitation beyond the general level of cognitive development.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Switzerland
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Moritz Daum
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr. Axel Schölmerich