Lecture 5: Imitation: a genetic adaptation Flashcards
What is ‘imitation’ ?
O of an M causes O to perform TS behaviour
observation of a modal causes the model to perform a topographically similar behaviour
What is Simple imitation
body movements that are ALREADY IN BEHAVIOURAL REPERTOIRE: aka
- Mimickery
- automatic imitation
- priming
- response facilitation
What is complex imitation
NOT already in observers behavioural repetoire
- Imitation learning
- True imitation
- observation learning
- programme level imitation
- over imitation
- — (linked to social conformity, specific to humans; Tomasello 2016; Neilsen and Tomaselli africa and industrial children overimitate in the same way; imiation = affiliation and allows the transmistion of culture)
What is emulation
copy the effets of body movments on environmental objects
reverser engineeer to replicate a creation
What is cumulative cultural evolution?
term given to particular kind of soical learn which allows for the accumulation of modifications over time involving a ratchet-like effect where scuccessful modifications are maintined untill they can be improved upon
(Caldwell & Millen, 2008)
How is Imitation proposed to be related to CCE?
facilitates collective action
cultural inheritance of technological skills
It is proposed imitation is essestion to what makes us human it underpins CCE:
SImple imitation = chameleon effect increasing cooperative attitudes “social glue” - enhance an induviudals sense of belonging to a scoial group in a way that facilitates collective action
Complex imitation = imartant for cultural trasmission of gestural/communicatiove skills
Describe studies that simple imitation:
a virtuous cycle of unconscious imitation and prosocial attitudes keeping members of human social groups at a constant rate of readiness for collective action and information sharing
Chartrand &Bargh (1999)
van Baaren et al (2004)
Lakin, Chartran & Arkin (2008)
Chameleon effect - no idea that they are imitating or being imitated - carefully contorled seminaturalistic studies show this, and also that it is pervasive
C&B (1999)
after someone imitates them - like them more
vB (2004)
more likely to help other siwth simple tasks more likely to give more money to charity after been imitated
LCA (2008)
those who feely ostracized are more liekly to imitate the group they havebeen exlcuded from than other groups
What is the virtous circle underwritten by? DS or DG?
because so well tuned to maintaining cooperative relationships tempting to assume mechanisms are decdicated and sophisticated cogtnive adaptations
However
could be explained by relatively simple non specific psychological gadgets: contingency detection and disinhibtion
Contingency detection - DG mechanism underpinning imitation
understanding and detecting that our actions can elicit those of external obejcts. From an early age detecting thesecontingencies appear to be associtedwith postivemeotion (Gergly & Watson, 1999)
Disinihibtion - the second DG mechanisms underpining imitation
you lower your inhibtions when interactingwiht somone who imtiates you - allows you to grrow to like them more
