Imitation

Imitation is an advanced animal behavior whereby an individual observes another's behavior and replicates it itself. It has been argued by Susan Blackmore in The Meme Machine, that imitation is what makes humans unique among animals. Imitation might have been selected as fit by evolution because those who were good at it had a wider arsenal of learned cultural behavior at their disposal, such as tool making or even language.

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In anthropology, diffusion theories explain why cultures imitate the ideas or practices of other cultures. Some theories hold that all cultures imitate ideas from one or a few original cultures, the Adam of the Bible, or several cultural circles that overlap. Evolutionary diffusion theory holds that cultures are influenced by one another, but that similar ideas can be developed in isolation.

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In mid-20th century, social scientists began to study how and why people imitate ideas. Everett Rogers pioneered diffusion of innovations studies, using research to prove factors in adoption and profiles of adopters of ideas.

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Recent work in neuroscience has begun to reveal the mechanisms of imitation in the human brain. It seems that there is a system of mirror neurons which are active both when you see another person act and when you do the same thing yourself, and these may allow humans to learn by imitation.

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Diffusion: :This article is about the physical mechanism of diffusion. For alternative meanings, see diffusion (disambiguation)....

Adam: Adam () is a prominent figure in Abrahamic Religions. He is the first man created by God in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He appears in the Hebrew Bible, in the Old Testament, and in the Qur'an. His wife was Eve....

Bible: The Bible (sometimes The Book,Good Book, Word of God, or Scripture), from Greek (τα) βιβλια, (ta) biblia, "(the) books", plural of βιβλιον, biblion, "book", originally a diminutive of βιβλο...

Imitation related Images and Photos (experimental)

Imitation of Life (1959) DVD (Widescreen)	Imitation of Life 1959	Imitation of Life 1959	Imitation of Life Two-Movie Special Edition
Imitation of Life Claudette Colbert 1934	Imitation of Life Two-Movie Special Edition DVD (Full Frame)	Ring made of imitation pearls