Imitation - following an example, a model; reproduction by one person of the movements, actions, behavior of another person. In the development of a child, imitation is one of the ways of assimilation of social experience. It is especially important in the early stages of development. A child of early and preschool age, through imitation, learns object actions, self-service skills, norms of behavior, and masters speech.

Assimilation by imitation of objective actions and skills presupposes a sufficiently high level of development of communication, perception, and motor skills. Otherwise, imitation turns into an external, "dead end" repetition of movements. This type of imitation occurs in children with mental developmental disabilities.

Violations in the development of imitation lead to difficulties in the assimilation of social experience, to violations mental development generally.

Imitation can be carried out involuntarily and arbitrarily. Arbitrary imitation is used as one of the leading methods in the communication of children of early preschool age. It improves with age, in the process of teaching children.

Imitation has two defining properties. First, imitation must be selective; the reaction, called imitative, occurs after a certain behavior of the model, and not under many other different conditions. For example, if a child smiles when he hears his father's voice, then his smile in response to the father's smile is not selective. And although a number of psychologists claim that babies of the first month of life can imitate the facial expressions of adults, for example, after adults open their mouths, it remains debatable whether these reactions can be attributed to selective imitation. If shown to a two-month-old baby, he will also stick out his tongue in response, and this will be like imitation, but if you bring a pencil to your mouth, the child will also stick out his tongue. By 7-8 months, infants are already capable of selective imitation, which becomes more frequent and complex with the age of the child. A one-year-old child can imitate what he sees and hears again: gestures, sounds, various forms of behavior.

By the beginning of the second year of life, imitation is observed, although relatively rarely, which does not appear immediately after certain actions of an adult.

The likelihood that a child will imitate a particular action depends on the nature of the action itself. In the experiment, the children were shown different kinds actions: motor (for example, an adult moved the cube along the table), social (an adult installed a screen in front of the baby’s face and looked out from behind it twice), coordinated sequential actions. The children most readily imitated motor actions, less often social actions. Children less than one and a half years old rarely imitated coordinated sequential actions, but the number of imitations of this kind increased between one and a half and two years.

In addition to living people, children watch, for example, television models. Up to two years, they imitate much less often than living objects, but by the age of three they are already able to model the behavior of both equally often. Observations show that young children imitate a wide variety of behaviors and that they absorb television information from an early age.

The ability to imitate lies at the basis of the intellectual and motor development of the child, since imitation is effective method learning new things. Child psychologists believe that imitation is related to maturation and is an inherent ability of human beings.

Imitation includes many components and performs different functions depending on the age of the child.

In the first two years of life, imitation depends in part on the degree of confidence the baby has in his ability to carry out what he sees. Observations have shown that children are more inclined to imitate those forms of behavior that they are just mastering than actions that they have already fully mastered or that they are not yet capable of. A mother talking on the phone would be an attractive model for a 15-month-old baby, not for a six-month-old or a three-year-old, although both have the necessary motor skills to do so. Similarly, two-year-old children in the early stages of mastering speech are more inclined to repeat the name of an object than to call a familiar object with a familiar word.

When a child imitates someone close, the adult usually smiles, begins to praise the baby, and even repeats his actions. Such a reaction of a loved one, as a rule, reinforces the child's imitative behavior, develops a tendency to learn new things, and influences the child's choice of forms of behavior.

In the third year of life, the child begins to imitate not so much certain actions as certain people. By the age of two, most children are already able to identify with other people based on gender. For example, boys, noticing their resemblance to their father and other men, begin to classify themselves in the same category. The realization that he belongs to a certain category leads the child to the desire to establish himself in his belonging to one sex or another. Children achieve this by imitating others.

Children imitate their parents more often than other adults, because parents are a constant source of emotions for them - both positive and negative. Those who arouse the child emotionally attract his attention, and as a result, the child learns the behavior of these people better. A similar situation is observed in children playing together. When two-year-olds who don't know each other play in pairs, the quiet child usually mimics the more confident, talkative child.

Thus, imitation is caused by the desire for social approval, the desire to be like another person or to achieve certain goals. A child's imitation in the first three years of life depends on the level of his cognitive development, which determines what forms of behavior the child finds attractive and at the same time feasible. The degree of desire to be like another and the level of emotional arousal caused by another person determine who the child will imitate, and the desire for certain goals will determine what he will imitate.

Despite the external similarity, various psychological mechanisms are hidden behind the phenomena of imitation at different age stages. In infancy, imitation of the movements and sounds of an adult's voice is an attempt to establish the first "meaningful" contact. Imitation in preschool age is the way of penetration into the semantic structures of human activity. It goes through a number of stages and changes along with the change in the leading activity of this age - the plot-role-playing game: initially, the child imitates the most open sides and characteristics of the adult activity modeled in the game, and only gradually begins to imitate those aspects of behavior that really reflect the meaning of the situation. . Imitation in adolescence is aimed at the adolescent's identification of himself with some specific personality that is significant for him or with a generalized stereotype of behavioral and personal characteristics. In adults, imitation is an element of learning in certain types of professional activities (sports, art, etc.)

Imitation(in social psychology) - a method of influence in which the object of influence, on its own initiative, begins to follow the way of thinking or actions of the subject influencing him, often not even knowing about it. Such cases are examples of non-directional influence. However, one can imagine situations where the subject of influence, wanting to serve as a "personal example", requires another individual to be P. by his actions or attitude to life. P. caused in this way is the result of directed influence. P. manifests itself in the repetition by one person of any actions, gestures, intonations, and even in copying certain character traits of another person, becoming an example or model for him. P. can also be arbitrary and involuntary. In the first case, the individual consciously sets himself the task of imitating the chosen model, in the second case he does it without thinking. The result of involuntary imitation of a significant other is the assimilation by the object of influence of previously unmastered patterns of activity transmitted to him by the subject of influence. If these patterns of activity, being generalized, change the personal characteristics of the object of influence, then the phenomenon of ideal (as a rule, unconscious) representation of the personality of the subject of influence in his object arises. In different age periods, P. does not play the same role in a person's life. So, if a child in early childhood, as a rule, simply reproduces the external actions and verbal reactions of adults, then already at preschool age, the adaptation to the actions of an adult includes a complex internal processing of the samples received. The younger student begins to copy and adopt the personal qualities of an adult, and in middle school age, when their peers are in the center of attention of adolescents, adult P. is gradually replaced by mutual imitation (there is such a phenomenon as "group imitation"). With the entry into the era of adolescence, the value orientations of a person begin to play the main role in the choice of an object for P.. Thus, with age, the role of P. changes in the content of P., in preschool childhood, the child, looking at adults, learns to act correctly in the material world, and at school, the teacher and parents already act for him as carriers of social patterns of behavior. Here, not only and not so much the external characteristics and habits of a beloved and respected person are adopted, but their inherent attitude towards other people.

I.G. Dubov

Definitions, meanings of the word in other dictionaries:

Psychology of development. Dictionary under. ed. A.L. Wenger

Imitation - following an example, a model. P. occurs at different age stages of individual development in humans and animals. Despite the external similarity, various psychological mechanisms are hidden behind P.'s phenomena in different age groups. In infancy...

Brockhaus Bible Encyclopedia

The New Testament epistles show that to imitate Christ at the same time means to imitate the apostles (1 Cor. 4:16; Phil. 3:17) and teachers (Heb. 13:7), leaders of churches (1 Thes. 2:14), Old Testament witnesses of the faith (Heb. 6:12; cf. Chapter 11) St. Paul admonishes: "Be imitators of me, as...

Psychological Dictionary

Independent copying of actions - perceived by others. It plays a decisive role in the appropriation of social experience. Through imitation at an early and preschool age, objective actions, self-service skills, norms of behavior - and speech are assimilated.

Psychological Encyclopedia

Independent copying of actions perceived by others. It plays a decisive role in the appropriation of social experience. Through imitation at an early and preschool age, objective actions, self-service skills, norms of behavior and speech are assimilated.

Psychological Encyclopedia

(English imitation) - reproduction by one subject of movements, actions, behavior of another subject. Syn. imitation, mimesis. P. - one of the ways of assimilation of social experience. It is especially important in the early stages of ontogenesis. (There is experimental data on the existence of...

There are many Russians folk proverbs, indicating that people from ancient times have given special importance to the influence of parental behavior on the formation of a child's character. These are such as "An apple does not fall far from an apple tree", "What is an oak, such is a wedge", "What are the roots, such are the branches" and "What is the seed, such is the tribe." Apparently, therefore, few are surprised when difficult teenagers grow up in families of alcoholic or criminal parents. "What can we expect from this poor child," the surrounding people sigh. What parents, such children.

For many years, scientists basis scientific studies have tried to find the dependence of human behavior on genetic factors. In our time, the science of psychogenetics is studying the role of heredity in shaping the character and behavior of a person.

According to psychogenetics, predict whether the temperament of the parents and their character traits were inherited by the child or whether they were formed as a result of the influence of the environment is very difficult. But none of them doubt the fact that the character of the child is greatly influenced not by genetics, but by parental example. Children adopt the character traits and behaviors of their parents, so the main condition for raising a child to be a harmonious, interesting and intelligent person is a worthy example for the parents themselves to follow.

Parents who understand and love their child, do not punish him, but try to explain everything to him and show him how to overcome difficulties by their own example, educate purposeful people. They are not afraid to praise the child, but they do not indulge all his whims. These are authoritative parents, they know what the meaning of life is and try to make their child's life happy and joyful. Children of authoritative parents from an early age show great curiosity, they are self-confident and energetic, thanks to these qualities of character they achieve good success in life.

From a young age, children try to imitate behavior parents, therefore, before demanding discipline and accustoming a child to order, look at yourself. Do you wash your hands before eating, do you properly hold cutlery, do you slouch while sitting at the table? If a child watches every day how parents get up at the same time, wash themselves, clean up their beds and dishes, brush their teeth and do exercises, then very soon he himself begins to perform the same actions without coercion.

In adulthood, he will not be late for work, his distinguishing features of character will be accuracy and responsibility. And, conversely, with parents who read the newspaper or watch TV while eating, talk to each other in raised tones, do not wash the dishes after themselves and scatter things anywhere, the child behaves in the same way as the parents themselves.

Exception to this regulations are only those children who grew up subject to the influence of other authorities, for example, grandparents or uncles, who became an example for him to follow. In these cases, the child of neat and tidy parents may grow up to be a slob, and a child of economical and thrifty parents to be a spender. All adults who are close to the child for a long time serve as an example to follow. Therefore, the choice of nannies and friends of the child must be treated very responsibly.

open relationship between parents and children - this is very good, but they should not overstep all boundaries. There is no need to condemn or speak badly about your parents, relatives, tutor or teacher in the presence of children. Tell your children about the bad things your loved ones did, but do not forget to tell them that you love them, despite the fact that they make mistakes.

In modern world many people put at the head of everything and go to work with their heads, thereby giving preference to the satisfaction of their desires, and not to the correct upbringing of the child. Most parents are constantly overworked, they get very tired by the end of the working day and get annoyed when the child does not obey them from the first word, scatters toys and makes noise.

In these cases parents it seems that the child should understand them, but children are children for that, they do not understand anything without explanation. Authoritarian parents, who believe that the child must obey them in everything, grow up irritable and conflict-prone children. They, like their parents, lack patience, the meaning of life for them lies in the satisfaction of material needs. Indulgent parents who do not control the behavior of the child and allow everything to him, grow up aggressive and impulsive children. They do not want to take responsibility, are afraid to make decisions on their own and have no goals in life.

memories childhood and relationships with parents accompany us all our lives, we follow some of them, and reject others, considering that the behavior and life experience of the older generation is unacceptable for us. But the parental example of behavior and their manner of communicating with us remains in our minds and manifests itself with special force when we ourselves become parents.

To leave in memory children vivid impressions and raise them happy people, watch your actions. In no case do not lie, do not swear, and do not commit unseemly acts, even if you have your own excuse for them. The child should not think that he can do bad things if there are good reasons for doing so.

Why are they so different? How to understand and form the character of your child Korneeva Elena Nikolaevna

Parental example and imitation

One of the mysteries of upbringing is the specificity of the impact on the child of the example of close people and, above all, parents. For some reason, good things take root with great difficulty, and bad things seem to stick by themselves.

Typical situations

My daughter and son-in-law live separately from us. But grandchildren often come to stay or just visit. We have two of them - Tanechka and Petrusha. By nature, both in the father. One eyebrow will be raised like this: “Grandma, what are you talking about ?!” And loafers are the same. They won't put too much on. It is true what they say: not from a generation, but to a generation.

Here they write, it is necessary to educate by personal example. From spring to late autumn, my father and I work every weekend in the country, we do not straighten our backs. BUT our daughter is growing up lazy. Now she needs Vera, then she agreed with Katya. She doesn’t do anything in the garden, so at least she would put things in order at home, run the house. On Sunday evening we return tired, I take a vacuum cleaner and a rag, my father runs to the store for bread. BUT She doesn't even wash the dishes. Will make everything neatly in the sink, and it's up to me.

Nelechka is in her seventh year. Favorite activity - to dress up. All my dresses, blouses, scarves will get out of the closet and dress up. I don't remember it being like that.

Well, what to expect from a child when parents are alcoholics. He walks around the yard, swearing all day long or roaming around the garbage heaps, collecting bottles. It's a pity, of course, the boy. But I punish mine to stay away from him.

Special instructions, training often misfire, but children perfectly copy what we do not notice in ourselves.

First of all, children copy the typical adult manner of behavior and treatment of each other. Our involuntary gestures, grimaces are noticed and reproduced by babies, since it is the expression of the face and pantomime that the attention of a child with poor command of speech is drawn to. Growing up, children begin to adopt intonations and expressions that are often used in our communication, regardless of the situation. Watching the games of preschoolers, one can easily notice that they address toy characters the way we address them, and show their joy, displeasure or anger, accompanying them with the same exclamations that they hear from our lips.

The verbal design of emotional experiences the guys borrow from each other. Similar feelings, states entail borrowed repetitions of the same phrases. This is how expressions like cool, world fart, in, funny, well, damn it, oops on etc. But when an indignant mother exclaims: “Throw away this muck immediately!”, Borrowing does not occur, because instead of disgust and indignation, they experience delight mixed with keen interest. And in response we hear: “Mom, look at what a beautiful caterpillar (frog, etc.)!”

However, moral principles are assimilated by children with much greater difficulty. Eastern wisdom says: “No matter how much you repeat “halva”, your mouth will not become sweeter.” The same thing happens in the development of moral foundations of behavior. No matter how much you tell a child that it is not good to take someone else's things, that it is ugly to lie, that girls should not be offended, these phrases remain empty words if they are not confirmed by daily practical observations of the actions of adults. And the child sees that not only mom is yelling at dad, but dad is yelling at mom. He sees how adults distort the truth, reshaping it to suit their interests. We say: "It's already half past ten, go to bed," and we hear the answer: "Well, you're lying, it's only twenty minutes. You teach not to lie, but yourself ... ". Such an exaggeration seems quite natural to us, and the child receives an example of parental insincerity. By demanding respect for elders, adults infringe on the rights of children, trample on their right to their own opinion. "No one asks you!" - that's the whole story.

We easily notice the moments when children violate the instructions given to them, act without permission, make us blush, feel embarrassed. At this point, comments, reproaches and punishments will not be long in coming. But we are not in a hurry to reward kids for exemplary behavior, and we take obedience in general for granted. Thus, adults do not pay attention to children when they behave well, and take care of them if they have done a bad deed.

Children's need for attention from other people is very strong, but in practice, adults engage in positive reinforcement of negative behavior, that is, satisfy the child's need for attention only when he acts as a violator of discipline or violates accepted norms. This is the main reason that the bad "sticks" quickly, and the good is grafted with great difficulty.

For the same reason, in problematic, asocial families, children do not always inherit the vicious traits of their parents. Any actions and deeds of children here run into the indifference of fathers and mothers. And a kind word spoken at the right time, interest and sincerity shown can work wonders.

If we want to consolidate the best features of our heirs in the character and habits, then we must react to the worthy deeds of children or not pay attention to their antics at all, giving the children complete freedom of action. The latter is widely practiced in the Japanese education system, where children under the age of six enjoy permissiveness and unlimited freedom, but having overcome this age barrier, they are placed in very strict conditions of control and submission to the requirements of their elders.

With the beginning of the process of gender identification, boys and girls begin to imitate their parents of the same sex. Let us recall at least an example with a little fashionista who loves to try on mother's dresses and outfits. Such behavior is nothing but classical imitation. The girl, realizing her commonality with her mother, repeats her actions and even uses her things.

If a child grows up in an incomplete family, then the necessary patterns of behavior are read by him from neighbors, grandparents, babysitters or just casual acquaintances. However, the only parent provides good material to follow. Willingly or unwittingly, he assumes the functions of the second parent. Therefore, the sons of single mothers early enough and very well master the patterns of masculinity. After all, mom herself is engaged in repairs, single-handedly makes responsible decisions. At the same time, she emphasizes that the work and care are male, and the son, when he grows up, will have to do this. Likewise, among male widowers and single fathers, daughters early begin to manage, perform various women's household duties, take on the role of listeners and comforters.

The interests of the older members of the family are reflected in the development of the inclinations and interests of the younger ones. This applies to musical and sports preferences, theatrical and culinary hobbies, professional preferences, and the like. This is not about blind copying. However, something similar, close, analogous will definitely sprout and grow in fragile childish souls.

Perhaps the only exception is the love of reading. No matter how many books there are in the house, no matter how parents try to instill in children an interest in them, no matter how passionate readers they themselves are, love for books may not appear. And this happens very often. Modern children are not too fond of this kind of intellectual hobby and recreation, replacing books with "videos" and computers. Children who show a serious interest in reading, as a rule, have a visual type of thinking, that is, they have a visual image behind every word, and sometimes sound. The rest prefer to directly read visual information, and not receive it by processing verbal information, presented in the form of conventional signs and symbols, which are letters.

The example of parents sometimes plays a negative role in choosing a future profession for children. Not accepting, and sometimes fundamentally denying the way of life of his family, a teenager most often associates it with the profession of his fathers and mothers. Yes, there are family dynasties, but this is the exception rather than the rule. Professional interests are formed under the influence of public opinion, the situation on the labor market and employment, what they talk about, write about, and talk about in the media. Both their own abilities and the opinion of friends can influence the choice. The parent example and parent settings are almost in the last place in this list. True, when choosing a place of study or future work, high school students can be guided by the decision of older family members and obey it. But this is a professional choice, not professional interests and preferences. Adolescents do this out of mental laziness or self-doubt, and then do what their parents have imposed on them, without any pleasure.

Imitation is one of the unconscious mechanisms of the socialization process. The desire to imitate arises in a child in relation to people older than them in age, higher in social status, who have a clear intellectual superiority. Parents meet all of these criteria. When interacting with them, children resort to imitation out of respect and for their own safety. Therefore, the role of a father or mother is associated with a special responsibility - responsibility for the fate of another person.

The actions of parents, their behavior in various situations most directly affect the development of the child's personality. They educate not only words, not so much the applied reward and punishment system, but the very type of our existence, little things and details that we sometimes don’t even think about.

Accuracy is not brought up by calls for order and cleanliness, it does not depend on the softness or severity of the punishment of their violators. The formation of this quality in children depends on whether we sit down to eat at a table covered with a clean, ironed tablecloth, whether we experience a feeling of disgust at the sight of crumbs, leftovers left in the kitchen or dining table, whether we always have a clean handkerchief at hand or manage with a sleeve, whether we think that others will use the bathroom or toilet after us, whether we strive to maintain order in small things (on the desktop, in a purse or closet), where we throw an ice cream wrapper or an empty pack of cigarettes. Similarly, any other quality is formed. It is woven from the smallest manifestations that children, without hesitation, copy from those they see, with whom they communicate every day, whose existence is as familiar to them as the air, the change of day at night, the rustle of leaves in the rain. This is what is absorbed with mother's milk and stays with us forever.