Premium
Children's Faithfulness in Imitating Language Use Varies Cross‐Culturally, Contingent on Prior Experience
Author(s) -
Klinger Jörn,
Mayor Julien,
Bannard Colin
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/cdev.12503
Subject(s) - imitation , psychology , indigenous , function (biology) , cultural learning , language acquisition , cultural transmission in animals , language development , linguistics , developmental psychology , cognitive imitation , cognitive psychology , social psychology , ecology , pedagogy , genetics , mathematics education , philosophy , evolutionary biology , biology
Despite its recognized importance for cultural transmission, little is known about the role imitation plays in language learning. Three experiments examine how rates of imitation vary as a function of qualitative differences in the way language is used in a small indigenous community in Oaxaca, Mexico and three Western comparison groups. Data from one hundred thirty‐eight 3‐ to 10‐year‐olds suggests that children selectively imitate when they understand the function of a given linguistic element because their culture makes frequent use of that function. When function is opaque, however, children imitate faithfully. This has implications for how children manage the imitation–innovation trade‐off, and offers insight into why children imitate in language learning across development.