ABSTRACT
Imitative learning which is learning by observing a model is particularly important in the learning of social and cultural values. According to work on how the brain functions, understood by MRI procedures, the ‘empathy circuit’ of the brain includes ‘mirror neurones’ which allow us to understand through imagination and higher-level cognitive processes how others are feeling. Early and extensive work on imitation was carried out internationally by A. H. Bandura and R. H. Walters including interesting experiments with children, especially on the role of imitation in the learning of aggression and altruism. Interestingly, Richard Walters lived and worked in New Zealand early in his academic career. Emotions seem to play a very powerful role in imitative learning. Factors such as the extent to which the observer identifies emotionally with the model, the nurturing characteristics of the model, and the status of the model in relation to the observer, are all important in enhancing the power of the model.
