SYNOPSIS
This course will examine research and theory on imitation from a variety of perspectives. We will look at imitation in nonhumans, to get a sense of the range of mechanisms that can be responsible for behavioral replication. We will review neurological data in humans linked to imitative processes. We will discuss the emergence of imitation in human evolution by exploring theoretical arguments from paleo-biology on the rise and consequence of mimesis, and computational modeling accounts of the role of imitation in the evolution of a shared signal repertoire between collaborative agents. We will consider imitation in human development, looking both at its function in the emergence of language and the role it plays in mediating and revealing social relationships. We will also examine imitation in adults, including its effects on prosociality, and its role in cultural development, conformity, and the propagation of innovation.

Participants will be expected to read and discuss the assigned papers, act as facilitator for at least one discussion, and write a final paper integrating and expanding this interdisciplinary literature.