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Automatic imitation
Abstract
"Automatic imitation" is a type of stimulus-response compatibility effect in which the topographical features of task-irrelevant action stimuli facilitate similar, and interfere with dissimilar, responses. This article reviews behavioral, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging research on automatic imitation, asking in what sense it is "automatic" and whether it is "imitation." This body of research reveals that automatic imitation is a covert form of imitation, distinct from spatial compatibility. It also indicates that, although automatic imitation is subject to input modulation by attentional processes, and output modulation by inhibitory processes, it is mediated by learned, long-term sensorimotor associations that cannot be altered directly by intentional processes. Automatic imitation provides an important tool for the investigation of the mirror neuron system, motor mimicry, and complex forms of imitation. It is a new behavioral phenomenon, comparable with the Stroop and Simon effects, providing strong evidence that even healthy adult humans are prone, in an unwilled and unreasoned way, to copy the actions of others.
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In the citing paper
“Humans show robust automatic imitation when they observe hand, arm, foot and mouth movements (Heyes, 2011).”
From Mirror neurons: from origin to function (2014) · cites this paper as Heyes, 2011
In the citing paper
“In cognitive psychology, it is studied by means of automatic imitation -the finding that observing congruent actions facilitates, whereas observing incongruent actions impedes, unrelated task responses (Brass et al., 2000;Cracco, Bardi, et al., 2018;Heyes, 2011;Sturmer, Aschersleben, & Prinz, 2000).”
From Automatic imitation of multiple agents: A computational model (2019) · cites this paper as Heyes, 2011
In the citing paper
“In particular, the cue is thought to activate short-term intentional stimulus-response (S-R) associations established solely for the purpose of the task, whereas the stimulus movement instead activates long-term automatic S-R associations established as a consequence of genetic disposition or learning experience (Heyes, 2011).”
From Automatic imitation of multiple agents: A computational model (2019) · cites this paper as Heyes, 2011
In the citing paper
“An influential framework to interpret automatic imitation is the dual-route framework (Heyes, 2011), which assumes that the imperative cue and the stimulus movement operate via different routes.”
From Automatic imitation of multiple agents: A computational model (2019) · cites this paper as Heyes, 2011
In the citing paper
“The most common measure of imitation inhibition, the general compatibility effect, also includes a spatial component (Heyes, 2011).”
From The inhibition of automatic imitation: a meta-analysis and synthesis of fMRI studies (2018) · cites this paper as Heyes, 2011
In the citing paper
“The model suggests that like other stimulusresponse compatibility tasks, imitation control is mediated by long-term stimulusresponse associations which are a product of learning.”
From The inhibition of automatic imitation: a meta-analysis and synthesis of fMRI studies (2018) · cites this paper as Heyes (2011)
In the citing paper
“Instead of a distinctly social mechanism, imitation control may involve domain-general cognitive control mechanisms, which are also engaged during the control of other non-social pre-potent response tendencies (Heyes, 2011;Cooper et al., 2012).”
From The inhibition of automatic imitation: a meta-analysis and synthesis of fMRI studies (2018) · cites this paper as Heyes, 2011
In the citing paper
“Indeed, the dual-route model of automatic imitation proposed by Heyes (2011) can explain the control of automatic imitative tendencies without assuming a reliance on a self-other distinction.”
From The inhibition of automatic imitation: a meta-analysis and synthesis of fMRI studies (2018) · cites this paper as Heyes (2011)
In the citing paper
“Humans show an involuntary tendency to copy other people's actions.”
From Functional Specificity and Sex Differences in the Neural Circuits Supporting the Inhibition of Automatic Imitation (2018) · cites this paper as Heyes, 2011
In the citing paper
“The dif-ference between RTs in these two conditions (i.e., the general compatibility effect) has been argued to index imitative control, as greater cognitive resources are required to inhibit movements that are incompatible to one's own responses (Heyes, 2011;Brass & Heyes, 2005).”
From Functional Specificity and Sex Differences in the Neural Circuits Supporting the Inhibition of Automatic Imitation (2018) · cites this paper as Heyes, 2011
Citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Mechanisms of Social Cognition
Frith, C. D., & Frith, U. (2012) · Annual Review of Psychology · doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100449 · Cited by 973
The Antecedents and Consequences of Human Behavioral Mimicry
Chartrand, T. L., & Lakin, J. L. (2013) · Annual Review of Psychology · doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143754 · Cited by 662
Schurz, M., Raduà, J., Tholen, M. G., Maliske, L., Margulies, D. S., Mars, R. B., Sallet, J., & Kanske, P. (2020) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/bul0000303 · Cited by 702
Mirror neurons: from origin to function
Cook, R., Bird, G., Catmur, C., Press, C., & Heyes, C. (2014) · Behavioral and Brain Sciences · doi:10.1017/s0140525x13000903 · Cited by 647
Self-citationEmotional Mimicry as Social Regulation
Hess, U., & Fischer, A. (2013) · Personality and Social Psychology Review · doi:10.1177/1088868312472607 · Cited by 596
Metadata
- Authors
- Heyes, C.
- Affiliations
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Heyes, Cecilia
- ORCID
- Heyes, Cecilia
- Venue
- Psychological Bulletin
- Published
- 2011
- Volume
- 137
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 463-483
- ISSN
- 0033-2909 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1455
- OpenAlex
- W4240799150
- Cited by
- 550
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 15 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 34 · 2023: 40 · 2022: 30 · 2021: 48 · 2020: 51 · 2019: 24 · 2018: 42 · 2017: 38 · 2016: 47 · 2015: 46 · 2014: 34 · 2013: 49 · 2012: 24
- FWCI
- 50.03
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychological Bulletin (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Action Observation and Synchronization
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Motor Control and Adaptation
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Free Will and Agency
- Keywords
- automatic imitation, stimulus-response compatibility, mirror neuron system, sensorimotor associations, attentional modulation, inhibitory processes, action observation, spatial compatibility
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Imitative Behavior
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