OVERIMITATIVENESS Meaning and
Definition
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Overimitativeness is a psychological concept that refers to the tendency of individuals, especially children, to imitate not only the actions and behavior of others but also their unnecessary or irrelevant actions. It can be described as a heightened and exaggerated form of imitation where individuals go beyond merely imitating functional behaviors, to the point of copying actions that have no practical purpose or significance.
This term was extensively discussed and studied by developmental psychologists and anthropologists, such as Jean Piaget and Andrew Meltzoff, who have observed this phenomenon in children. Overimitativeness is thought to be influenced by a child's strong social motivation to conform and fit into social groups, as well as their desire to learn from and be accepted by their caregivers and peers.
The process of overimitation can often be observed when children carefully observe and mimic adult actions, even if those actions do not contribute to achieving a specific goal. This behavior indicates that children prioritize acquiring and reproducing the entire behavioral repertoire of their cultural group, rather than focusing solely on necessary and effective skills. Overimitation is considered an important aspect of cultural transmission, as it enables the passing down of rituals, traditions, and norms from one generation to another.
Understanding overimitativeness sheds light on how individuals acquire and transmit cultural knowledge and practices, highlighting the significance of social learning and imitation in human development and cultural evolution.
Common Misspellings for OVERIMITATIVENESS
- iverimitativeness
- kverimitativeness
- lverimitativeness
- pverimitativeness
- 0verimitativeness
- 9verimitativeness
- ocerimitativeness
- oberimitativeness
- ogerimitativeness
- oferimitativeness
- ovwrimitativeness
- ovsrimitativeness
- ovdrimitativeness
- ovrrimitativeness
- ov4rimitativeness
- ov3rimitativeness
- oveeimitativeness
- ovedimitativeness
- ovefimitativeness
- ovetimitativeness
Etymology of OVERIMITATIVENESS
The word "overimitativeness" is derived from three main components: "over", "imitative", and "ness".
1. "Over": This prefix is derived from the Old English word "ofer", which means "above" or "beyond". It is often used to indicate excess or exaggeration.
2. "Imitative": This word comes from the Latin word "imitatus", which means "to copy" or "to imitate". It refers to the act of replicating or resembling something or someone.
3. "-ness": This is a suffix added to adjectives or participles to form nouns indicating a state or condition. In this case, it is attached to "imitative" to form "imitativeness", which refers to the state or quality of being imitative.
Therefore, "overimitativeness" combines these three components to describe a state or condition of excessive or exaggerated imitation.
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