A review of recent studies on imitation, particularly during infancy, suggests that
imitation may serve two functions: gaining understanding of puzzling observations
and communicating mutuality and shared understanding with another person. Although
changes in cognitive understanding influence development in imitation, the
occurrence of imitation in specific situations may be governed by the interplay of
the two functions that imitation can serve. This analysis implies that research
needs to consider not only the kinds of acts that are imitated at different
developmental levels, but also the child's understanding of the interpersonal
interaction during which imitation is obtained in order to elucidate the age-related
trends in imitation.
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