2026-09-20T04:02:34Zhttps://dspace.mit.edu/server/oai/requestoai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/422262022-01-13T07:54:17Zcom_1721.1_7582com_1721.1_7581col_1721.1_131023
Lara Schulz.
Hooppell, Catherine Amanda Jane
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Brain and Cognitive Sciences.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
2008-09-03T15:00:05Z
2008-09-03T15:00:05Z
2007
2007
http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/42226
230959668
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, 2007.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 43-46).
Three studies look at whether the assumption of causal determinism (the assumption that all else being equal, causes generate effects deterministically) affects children's imitation of modeled actions. We show that, even when the frequency of an effect is matched, both preschoolers and toddlers imitate actions more faithfully when modeled actions are deterministically rather than probabilistically effective. A third study suggests that preschoolers' imitation is affected, not just by whether the agent's goal is satisfied but also by whether the action is a reliable means to the goal. Children's tendency to generate variable responses to probabilistically effective modeled actions could support causal learning.
by Catherine Amanda Jane Hooppell.
S.M.
49 leaves
eng
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
M.I.T. theses are protected by
copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but
reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written
permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.
http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582
Brain and Cognitive Sciences.
Judicious imitation : children differentially imitate deterministically and probabilistically effective actions
Differential imitation
Thesis
application/pdf
false
Publication
unknown
unknown
<Publication xmlns="https://www.openaire.eu/cerif-profile/1.1/" id="06e1606a-b445-4a39-ba4e-6d5b5423d6fb">
<Type xmlns="https://www.openaire.eu/cerif-profile/vocab/COAR_Publication_Types">http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_1843</Type>
<Language>eng</Language>
<Title>Judicious imitation : children differentially imitate deterministically and probabilistically effective actions</Title>
<Subtitle>Differential imitation</Subtitle>
<PublishedIn>
<Publication>
</Publication>
</PublishedIn>
<PublicationDate>2007</PublicationDate>
<Authors>
<Author>
<DisplayName>Hooppell, Catherine Amanda Jane</DisplayName>
<Affiliation>
<OrgUnit>
</OrgUnit>
</Affiliation>
</Author>
</Authors>
<Editors>
</Editors>
<Publishers>
<Publisher>
<DisplayName>Massachusetts Institute of Technology</DisplayName>
<OrgUnit />
</Publisher>
</Publishers>
<License>http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582</License>
<Keyword>Brain and Cognitive Sciences.</Keyword>
<Abstract>Three studies look at whether the assumption of causal determinism (the assumption that all else being equal, causes generate effects deterministically) affects children's imitation of modeled actions. We show that, even when the frequency of an effect is matched, both preschoolers and toddlers imitate actions more faithfully when modeled actions are deterministically rather than probabilistically effective. A third study suggests that preschoolers' imitation is affected, not just by whether the agent's goal is satisfied but also by whether the action is a reliable means to the goal. Children's tendency to generate variable responses to probabilistically effective modeled actions could support causal learning.</Abstract>
<Access xmlns="http://purl.org/coar/access_right"
>
</Access>
</Publication>