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Parental Models and Overimitation in 5-Year-Old Children

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Title: Parental Models and Overimitation in 5-Year-Old Children
Language: English
Authors: Louise Mackie (ORCID 0009-0004-6834-2987), Leslie-Ann Eickhoff, Eluisa Nimpf, Ludwig Huber, Stefanie Hoehl
Source: Developmental Psychology. 2025 61(9):1641-1652.
Availability: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 12
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Imitation, Young Children, Parents, Familiarity, Stranger Reactions, Efficiency, Foreign Countries, Novelty (Stimulus Dimension), Parent Child Relationship, Child Behavior
Geographic Terms: Austria
DOI: 10.1037/dev0001798
ISSN: 0012-1649
1939-0599
Abstract: Individuals often copy another's causally irrelevant actions despite their inefficiency toward goals. The present study investigated the influence of model familiarity on this behavior--known as "overimitation"--with a two-phase overimitation task. We tested whether 5-year-old Austrian children (N = 52, 28 males) would overimitate their parents more than a stranger when operating a novel puzzle box. First, an inefficient strategy was demonstrated by a parent (or stranger) before the child's first turn on the box; then, an efficient strategy was demonstrated by a stranger (or parent) before the child's second turn. Results showed that children who first saw their parent's inefficient strategy overimitated it slightly more than those who saw the stranger's. After the efficient demonstration, we observed a reduction in children's overimitation of their parent's (but not the stranger's) inefficient strategy. Comparisons to a no-model (baseline) condition revealed significantly higher overimitation scores for our parent-then-stranger and stranger-then-parent conditions in the first phase, but only for the stranger-then-parent condition in the second phase. We also observed children protesting against their parents' efficient demonstration (in favor of the stranger's inefficient demonstration). These results suggest (a) that overimitation can occur in two ways (supporting a dual-process theory) and (b) that children selectively overimitate depending on model familiarity.
Abstractor: As Provided
Notes: https://osf.io/anbuf
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1502516
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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PubType: Academic Journal
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  Data: Parental Models and Overimitation in 5-Year-Old Children
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  Data: English
– Name: Author
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Louise+Mackie%22">Louise Mackie</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6834-2987">0009-0004-6834-2987</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Leslie-Ann+Eickhoff%22">Leslie-Ann Eickhoff</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Eluisa+Nimpf%22">Eluisa Nimpf</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ludwig+Huber%22">Ludwig Huber</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Stefanie+Hoehl%22">Stefanie Hoehl</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Developmental+Psychology%22"><i>Developmental Psychology</i></searchLink>. 2025 61(9):1641-1652.
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  Data: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 12
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  Data: 2025
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Imitation%22">Imitation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Young+Children%22">Young Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parents%22">Parents</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Familiarity%22">Familiarity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Stranger+Reactions%22">Stranger Reactions</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Efficiency%22">Efficiency</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Novelty+%28Stimulus+Dimension%29%22">Novelty (Stimulus Dimension)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parent+Child+Relationship%22">Parent Child Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+Behavior%22">Child Behavior</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Austria%22">Austria</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1037/dev0001798
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  Data: 0012-1649<br />1939-0599
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Individuals often copy another's causally irrelevant actions despite their inefficiency toward goals. The present study investigated the influence of model familiarity on this behavior--known as "overimitation"--with a two-phase overimitation task. We tested whether 5-year-old Austrian children (N = 52, 28 males) would overimitate their parents more than a stranger when operating a novel puzzle box. First, an inefficient strategy was demonstrated by a parent (or stranger) before the child's first turn on the box; then, an efficient strategy was demonstrated by a stranger (or parent) before the child's second turn. Results showed that children who first saw their parent's inefficient strategy overimitated it slightly more than those who saw the stranger's. After the efficient demonstration, we observed a reduction in children's overimitation of their parent's (but not the stranger's) inefficient strategy. Comparisons to a no-model (baseline) condition revealed significantly higher overimitation scores for our parent-then-stranger and stranger-then-parent conditions in the first phase, but only for the stranger-then-parent condition in the second phase. We also observed children protesting against their parents' efficient demonstration (in favor of the stranger's inefficient demonstration). These results suggest (a) that overimitation can occur in two ways (supporting a dual-process theory) and (b) that children selectively overimitate depending on model familiarity.
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: EJ1502516
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1502516
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        Value: 10.1037/dev0001798
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 12
        StartPage: 1641
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Imitation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Young Children
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Parents
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Familiarity
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      – SubjectFull: Stranger Reactions
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      – SubjectFull: Efficiency
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      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
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      – SubjectFull: Novelty (Stimulus Dimension)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Parent Child Relationship
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Child Behavior
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Austria
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      – TitleFull: Parental Models and Overimitation in 5-Year-Old Children
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              Type: published
              Y: 2025
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