Spreading the game

An experimental study on the link between children's overimitation and their adoption, transmission, and modification of conventional information

verfasst von
Roman Stengelin, Hanna Schleihauf, Anna Seidl, Anne Böckler-Raettig
Abstract

Overimitation is hypothesized to foster the spread of conventional information within populations. The current study tested this claim by assigning 5-year-old children (N = 64) to one of two study populations based on their overimitation (overimitators [OIs] vs. non-overimitators [non-OIs]). Children were presented with conventional information in the form of novel games lacking instrumental outcomes, and we observed children's adoption, transmission, and modification of this information across two study phases. Results reveal little variation across study populations in the number of game elements that were adopted and transmitted. However, OIs were more likely to use normative language than non-OIs when transmitting game information to their peers. Furthermore, non-OIs modified the games more frequently in the initial study phase, suggesting an inverse relationship between children's overimitation and their tendency to modify conventional information. These findings indicate subtle yet coherent links between children's overimitation and their tendency to transmit and modify conventional information.

Organisationseinheit(en)
Institut für Psychologie
Externe Organisation(en)
Max-Planck-Institut für evolutionäre Anthropologie
Universität Leipzig
University of California at Berkeley
Deutsches Primatenzentrum GmbH - Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung (DPZ)
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
Typ
Artikel
Journal
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
Band
213
Anzahl der Seiten
22
ISSN
0022-0965
Publikationsdatum
01.2022
Publikationsstatus
Veröffentlicht
Peer-reviewed
Ja
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete
Experimentelle und kognitive Psychologie, Pädagogische und Entwicklungspsychologie
Elektronische Version(en)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2021.105271 (Zugang: Offen)