Overimitation begins in infancy but is not yet linked to in-group preference

A new study examines the emergence of overimitation in infants aged between 16 and 21 months to see if and how it is linked to social affiliation and other forms of imitation. The researchers found that young children engaged in low rates of overimitation and that it was not driven by in-group preference -- meaning they were not acting to please someone similar to themselves. This suggests that overimitation for social affiliation reasons may emerge later. But they did find that other types of imitation associated with memory and cognition were closely correlated.

from Relationships News -- ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250522162544.htm