Definition of Imitation
- Any physical movement may function as a model (antecedent stimulus that evokes the imitative behavior) for imitation
- An imitative behavior must immediately follow the presentation of the model
- The model and the behavior must have formal similarity
- The model must be the controlling variable for an imitative behavior
Types of Models
- Planned Models
- Pre-arranged antecedent stimuli that help learners acquire new skills
- Shows the learner exactly what to do
- Unplanned Models
- Occur in everyday social interactions
Formal Similarity
- The model and the behavior physically resemble each other and are in the same sense mode (i.e. look alike, sound alike)
Immediacy
- The temporal relation between the model and the occurrence of the imitative behavior is very important
- Topography of a previous imitation may also occur at later times and in the context of everyday life situations
- However when it occurs in the absence of a model, it is not imitation
- The discriminative features of the environment are different in this context (i.e. the model is not controlling the behavior)
Controlled Relation
- The controlling relation between the model and the imitative behavior is paramount
- This is best evidenced when the model is novel and it still evokes an imitative response
- After this first occurrence, the new behavior has a history of reinforcement
- Becomes a discriminated operant
Imitation Training
- Typically developing children acquire many skills by imitating unplanned models
- Some children with disabilities require instruction in order to learn to imitate
- Objective: teach children to “do what the model does”
- Generalize a rule to imitate models
- Also known as generalized imitation
Steps to Imitation Training (Striefel, 1974)
- Assess and teach prerequisite skills for imitation training
- Select models for training
- Pretest
- Sequence models for training
- Conduct imitation training
Assessing/Teaching Prerequisite Skills
- Prerequisite skills needed:
- Attending (staying seated, keeping hands in lap, looking at teacher when name is called, looking at objects when prompted by teacher)
- Problem behaviors that may interfere with training may need to be decreased
Selecting Models for Training
- Begin with selecting about 25
- Include gross and fine motor examples
- Movement of body parts
- Manipulation of physical objects
- Use only one at a time (don’t sequence them–save sequences for later)
Pretesting
- Purpose: to determine if individual already imitates some models
- Procedures:
- Prepare learner’s attending behavior
- If object is to be used, placed in front of you and individual
- Say learner’s name, get eye contact, and the “do this”
- Present the model
- Immediately praise each response with formal similarity to the model
- Record learner’s response as correct or incorrect
Sequence the Selected Models for Training
- Arrange from easiest to most difficult
- First models for training are ones the individual has imitated correctly on some, but not all, pretest items
- Next, teach ones the learner approximated but did incorrectly on pretest
- Finally, teach items the learner did not perform or performed incorrectly on pretest
Conducting Imitation Training
- Pre-assessment
- Purpose: evaluate learner’s current performance level and determine progress in learning to respond to model
- Brief pretest prior to each training session
- Use first 3 models currently selected for training
- Present them 3 times in random order
- If the learner performs them correctly 3 times, remove from the training sequence
- Training
- Use repeated presentations of 1 of the 3 models in pre-assessment
- Use model most often responded to or responded to with closest similarity during pre-assessment
- Continue until learner responds correctly 5 consecutive times
- Use physical guidance if necessary to prompt the response
- Gradually fade prompts as quickly as possible
- Post-Assessment
- Purpose: to evaluate how well the learner can perform perviously – and – recently learned behaviors
- Present 5 previously learned models and 5 models still in training
- On 3 consecutive post-assessments
- If child consistently imitates a model correctly without physical guidance, remove it from training
- Physical guidance may be used
- Probes for Imitative Behavior
- Purpose: assesses for generalized imitation
- Select 5 non-trained novel models to check for occurrence of imitation
- Do at end of each training session or intermix in training sessions
- Use pre-assessment procedures, but with no antecedent verbal response prompts or physical guidance
Guidelines for Imitation Training
- Keep training sessions active and brief (10-15 minutes, 2-13 sessions per day) with no more than a few seconds between trials
- Reinforce both prompted and imitative responses (in the early stages)
- Pair verbal praise and attention with tangible reinforcers
- If progress breaks down, back up and move ahead slowly
- Keep a record
- Fade out verbal response prompts and physical guidance