TY - JOUR

T1 - Spreading the game

T2 - An experimental study on the link between children's overimitation and their adoption, transmission, and modification of conventional information

AU - Stengelin, Roman

AU - Schleihauf, Hanna

AU - Seidl, Anna

AU - Böckler-Raettig, Anne

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by a PRIME (Postdoctoral Researchers International Mobility Experience) Fellowship from the German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Auslandsdienst [DAAD]) granted to Hanna Schleihauf. We thank Theo Toppe, Anne Sibilsky, and Jan Engelmann for their helpful comments on earlier versions of the manuscript.

PY - 2022/1

Y1 - 2022/1

N2 - Overimitation is hypothesized to foster the spread of conventional information within populations. The current study tested this claim by assigning 5-year-old children (N = 64) to one of two study populations based on their overimitation (overimitators [OIs] vs. non-overimitators [non-OIs]). Children were presented with conventional information in the form of novel games lacking instrumental outcomes, and we observed children's adoption, transmission, and modification of this information across two study phases. Results reveal little variation across study populations in the number of game elements that were adopted and transmitted. However, OIs were more likely to use normative language than non-OIs when transmitting game information to their peers. Furthermore, non-OIs modified the games more frequently in the initial study phase, suggesting an inverse relationship between children's overimitation and their tendency to modify conventional information. These findings indicate subtle yet coherent links between children's overimitation and their tendency to transmit and modify conventional information.

AB - Overimitation is hypothesized to foster the spread of conventional information within populations. The current study tested this claim by assigning 5-year-old children (N = 64) to one of two study populations based on their overimitation (overimitators [OIs] vs. non-overimitators [non-OIs]). Children were presented with conventional information in the form of novel games lacking instrumental outcomes, and we observed children's adoption, transmission, and modification of this information across two study phases. Results reveal little variation across study populations in the number of game elements that were adopted and transmitted. However, OIs were more likely to use normative language than non-OIs when transmitting game information to their peers. Furthermore, non-OIs modified the games more frequently in the initial study phase, suggesting an inverse relationship between children's overimitation and their tendency to modify conventional information. These findings indicate subtle yet coherent links between children's overimitation and their tendency to transmit and modify conventional information.

KW - Cultural Transmission

KW - Imitation

KW - Innovation

KW - Overimitation

KW - Preschoolers

KW - Social Learning

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85113973111&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.jecp.2021.105271

DO - 10.1016/j.jecp.2021.105271

M3 - Article

C2 - 34481343

AN - SCOPUS:85113973111

VL - 213

JO - Journal of Experimental Child Psychology

JF - Journal of Experimental Child Psychology

SN - 0022-0965

M1 - 105271

ER -