Imitation Flashcards
Imitation can be used as a
Imitation can be used as a diagnostic tool in senior adults
Alzheimer’s vs. Mild Dementia
What are mirror neurons?
A mirror neuron is a neuron that fires both when an animal acts and when the animal observes the same action performed by another. Thus, the neuron “mirrors” the behavior of the other, as though the observer were itself acting.
Humans and monkeys have them (maybe others)
What are different types of mirror neurons?
o Strictly congruent, broadly congruent, logically related.
o Logically related – respond to different actions in observed and executed action. Action doesn’t have to be exactly same, but like goal should be the same sometimes. Opening door with hand vs. feet. Mirror neurons will fire with both. Or drinking coffee with left hand. And also right hand.
o With children, immediate imitation and delayed imitation around age 2. Delayed like playing with a toy the next day in a way that you saw the day before. Immediate is like singing same tune immediately after.
Strictly congruent vs broadly congruent mirror neurons
Strictly congruent mirror neurons discharge when the observed and executed effective motor acts are identical both in terms of goal (e.g., grasping) and in terms of the way in which that goal is achieved (e.g., precision grip), whereas broadly congruent mirror neurons require, to be triggered, similarity but not identity between the observed and executed effective motor acts
What is the biggest contribution of mirror neurons to infant’s cognitive systems?
Connects to comparison units. Connects different sections in our brain to mirror neurons. Perceive and motor actions are connected. Connects visual and motor systems, etc
What are the 2 theories of mirror neurons? How are they different?
o Genetics. Maturation. No matter what happens you will have that skill. But like cats who
o Associated learning. Like conditioning.
Which theory refutes a maturational mechanism to explain mirror neurons?
o Associated learning. Huge biological component BUT we also need to interact with environment. Like cats who put in box and couldn’t see depth perception afterward
What is the earliest that a human can imitate?
At birth, tested by tongue pulling
Article 2:
o 15 months old
• Independent variable: different vs similar toys. Action is the same.
o Ability to generalize effective action in imitation task with similar and dissimilar objects. Measured by way toy was manipulated. Same or different action
o They generalized the imitation to objects that were similar but not to ones that were dissimilar. When trained with objects that were more dissimilar they were better able to generalize.
article 3:
- Tested different types of stimuli. 9 months. Displayed motor activation was produced
- Independent variable: types of sound
- Dependent variable: motor activation
- Hear a sound, looking at what infant does afterwards. Different reactions to rattle and other things. It is general imitation, not similar.
article 4:
• preschoolers. Independent variable was deterministic vs probabilistic condition. Determinitstic light would come on in the toy, probabilistic condition no light would come on. Dependent variable is whther child exactly imitates modeled action. If child was knowledgable about a subject and action predicts outcome strongly, they are more likely to imitate it the same way. But if less strong connection between connection and outcome they also introduce their own actions to imitations.
