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Infant orofacial movements: Inputs, if not outputs, of early imitative ability?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 December 2017

Eoin P. O'Sullivan  and
Christine A. Caldwell
Eoin P. O'Sullivan
Affiliation:
Faculty of Natural Sciences, Behaviour and Evolution Research Group, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, United Kingdom. eoin.osullivan@stir.ac.uk http://rms.stir.ac.uk/converis-stirling/person/10922 c.a.caldwell@stir.ac.uk https://sites.google.com/site/christineannacaldwell/
Christine A. Caldwell
Affiliation:
Faculty of Natural Sciences, Behaviour and Evolution Research Group, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, United Kingdom. eoin.osullivan@stir.ac.uk http://rms.stir.ac.uk/converis-stirling/person/10922 c.a.caldwell@stir.ac.uk https://sites.google.com/site/christineannacaldwell/
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Abstract

According to Keven & Akins (K&A), infant orofacial gestures may not reflect imitative responses. Here, we emphasise that these actions nonetheless represent a significant feature of the infant's early sensorimotor experience, and therefore may play a key role in the development of imitative capacities. We discuss how the ideas proposed in the target article could contribute substantially to experiential accounts of imitation.

Information

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 40 , 2017 , e398
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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