Imitation entails a cognitive process that is usually sophisticated. When imitating the facial expressions of an adult, an infant has to recognize facial expression, keep the expression’s representation in memory, and translate that abstract representation in real action. Therefore, the varying opinions on when infants are able to imitate adults are linked to varying theories regarding cognitive development in infants. This is because the cognitive abilities of infants are inferred from methodological limitations and behavior and these add to debate on when actual imitation occurs. If imitation is considered broadly to include infant’s imitative behavior of the caregiver, imitation’s importance in infant development can be seen as having a vital role to play in the infant’s formation of relationships as well as the early social skills. Nevertheless, it is important to consider the role that is played by imitation in the early development of a child alongside the other influences which include factors that are predetermined genetically, individual variations in temperament and environmental factors.
