Running head: RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Research Proposal
Dewi Blanco
HD 382- Participatory Action Research
Pacific Oaks College
July 26, 2015

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2
Research Question

How might behavior imitation influence the building of relationships among toddlers?

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3
Literature Review

I was inspired to research the behavior of toddlers in a group setting while teaching a
class of two to three year olds. My observations were that the children in the class community
were involved in play which was initiated by one child imitating the actions of another, they then
would begin playing side by side. I wondered about what others had observed in this aspect.
Piaget in his book Play, Dreams and Imitation talks about his research with children
between one and two years of age who practice imitation of models in behavior and speech
patterns. His research for this age group focuses on repetition of an action observed in a peer by
a child, not immediately but later. He called it representation, in which the child imitated the
behavior without the model. He researched the imitation of a behavior and compared it to the
development of language, beginning with pitch imitation to imitation of sounds and first
utterances. (Piaget, 1955, p. 63). Furthermore, he explains how one of the factors in imitation is
the childs interest in the person being imitated, There is evidence of the influence of this factor
even after the first few months, in the sense that the baby will more readily imitate a familiar
figure than a stranger, but with the broadening of his social contact and the development of his
thought new shades of various kinds make their appearance (Piaget, 1955, p. 73). He explains
that just as it is for adults the imitation is unconscious, arising merely through confusion
between external movements and those of the ego (Piaget, 1955, p. 74).
Piaget referenced Gabriel Tarde in his writing as suggesting that imitation is the
consolidating factor of social life, that it is never anything more than a vehicle, and not a motive,
for inter-individual relations (Piaget, 1955, p. 73). While Piagets suggestion implies the
opposite, that compulsion, authority and unilate ral respect, which give rise to imitation of the
superior by the subordinate, or in mutual respect and intellectual and moral equality, which are

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the origin of imitation between equals (Piaget, 1955, p. 74). This concept is important because
of the nature of relationship between two small children in a class. As equals to become
interested in learning through imitation.
In the article, Beyond Personal Feelings And Collective Emotions: Toward A Theory Of
Social Affect, imitation is described as an phenomenon of sympathy, of sociability and provokes
a real evolution of sympathy and general sociability in others (Seyfert, November 2012, p. 38).
This finding speaks to my interest in relationship building through imitation of behaviors, actions
and speech patterns.
As Piaget explains as adults We are sometimes conscious of imitating someone, but
without knowing whom (e.g., smiling in way different from our own), and discover later, but
only later, the image of the model (e.g., someone seen on a railway journey, smiling as he read).
There is therefore no proof that imaged representation, the memory-image, etc., precede deferred
imitation, since it possible for them to follow it and depend on it. (Piaget, 1955, p. 70) This
evokes thoughts of what the system of mirror-neurons can do in terms of creating connections
between two people. Mirror neurons appears to play a fundamental role in both action
understanding and imitation (Rizzolatti, G., & Craighero, L. 2004). Mirror neurons have been
found to be a basis for learning as they help in imitation of motor sequences that are to be
learned in motor development as well as in speech patterns. (Rizzolatti, G., & Craighero, L.
2004). Mirror neurons are also said to aid in the development of social understanding, social
psychology studies have demonstrated that imitation and mimicry are pervasive, automatic, and
facilitate empathy. Neural mirroring solves the "problem of other minds" (how we can access
and understand the minds of others) and makes intersubjectivity possible, thus facilitating social
behavior. (Iacoboni, M. 2009)

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Methodology
The research will be conducted with a group of nine 18 -36 month old children.
Observations will be taken for the first 2 weeks when children imitate the behavior of others
sporadically and without prompting. There will be note taking and video transcription as
observations take place. They will be provided an environment rich in sensory materials for
exploration as well as opportunities for group learning, singing and reading. Toys and materials
of interest will be doubled allowing for two children to use the same material, tool or toy.
Upon learning and observing what materials seem to bring about the behaviors of
imitation, there will be more added to the environment to include more children in the research.
Some of the materials will be removed to introduce a small level of conflict and allow for
conversation and imitation of speech from the adults and force interactions among the children.
A survey will be sent to the parents listing specific behaviors for them to note if they are
observing them at home. Specific behaviors will be listed as well as words and utterances that
seem to be recurring in the classroom, with a space for them to include any other changes they
might have noticed in the home. Survey data will be analyzed to seek for patterns among the
children that might not have been noted in initial survey. The surveys will be repeated after two
weeks for a continuation and retesting of the results.

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References
Iacoboni, M. (2009). Imitation, empathy, and mirror neurons. Annual Review of Psychology, 60,
653.
Piaget, J. (1955). Play, dreams and Imitation in early childhood. Florence, KY, USA: Routledge,
1999. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 3 August 2015.
Rizzolatti, G., & Craighero, L. (2004). THE MIRROR-NEURON SYSTEM. Annual Review Of
Neuroscience, 27(1), 169-C-4. doi:10.1146/annurev.neuro.27.070203.144230
Seyfert, R. (November 2012). Beyond Personal Feelings and Collective Emotions: Toward a
Theory of Social Affect . Theory Culture & Society, 27-46.