Imitation

IMITATION, the tendency to repeat heard sounds and words, seen movements and gestures, etc. According to the definition by Plaut, imitation is a socio-psychological phenomenon, the biological features of which are rooted in an imitative drive or, as some authors say, an imitative instinct (James). Bekhterev considers imitation to be a simple associative reflex based on social experience. Phenomena of imitation are often observed in some animals, especially in monkeys and birds. Monkeys, through imitation, have learned to perform rather complex actions—opening doors, inserting a key into a lock, operating a water faucet, and others. Some authors identify the concepts of imitation and suggestibility. However, W. Stern, analyzing the behavior of children, who are known to be very prone to imitation, especially at an early age, finds differences between suggestibility and imitation. In his opinion, for imitation, it is sufficient only for the child to be able to perceive another's movement and reproduce it; suggestibility, however, requires the experiencing of the motivation of what is perceived. Phenomena of imitation include the case when a child begins to cry upon hearing the crying of other children, or claps their hands upon seeing the same action. Suggestibility includes the case when a child, seeing a crying person, perceives the sadness expressed by the crying and becomes sad themselves. Imitation in the mentally ill is one of the forms of so-called automatic obedience, an increased suggestibility of various origins. The manifestations of automatic imitation include echopraxia (echokinesia) and echolalia. Echopraxia consists of the mechanical repetition of movements, gestures, etc., performed in the presence of the patient, especially if they are sharp and seemingly sudden in nature (e.g., the rapid raising of an arm, mirrored by the patient, clapping hands, etc.). Sometimes patients repeat all the movements and behavior of a neighbor in the ward or room. Echolalic manifestations include the patient's repetition of words, sounds, and questions they hear. Not infrequently, patients weave into their speech random expressions they hear from others, which brings echolalia closer to responsiveness. Echolalia is encountered more often than echopraxia. Just like the classic expression of automatic obedience, waxy flexibility and echo-phenomena can be observed in various mental illnesses. Basically, they are typical for schizophrenia, especially for its catatonic form; extremely rare are cases of so-called obsessive imitations, the question of which has not yet been fully studied and which are accompanied by experiences characteristic of ordinary obsessive states. Similar experiences can characterize auto-echolalia—palilalia, which differs from the described echolalia by the repetition of one's own words, the last word of a phrase, observed mainly in subcortical organic lesions and standing in the same row as polykinesia and polygraphia. In some arteriosclerotics, echo-phenomena are close to perseveratory ones. Partly, one of the forms of imitation is so-called induced insanity (induziertes Irresein, folie a deux). Phenomena of imitation are observed to a significant degree in 'meryachenie', the 'latah' disease, and similar phenomena. Ya. Frumkin.