Vocal and Gestural Imitation in 8-, 14-, and 20-Month-Old Children

Abstract
Selected vocal and gestural imitation items were presented to 24 8-, 14-, and 20-month-old boys and girls in an elicited task situation. Generally, both vocal and gestural imitation increased with age, although for each age group there was significantly more gestural than vocal imitation. Various types ofvocal and gestural imitation were not significantly correlated with each other. Vocal imitation was positively correlated with estimated vocabulary for both 14- and 20-month-olds. Results were interpreted as suggesting that imitation is not a unitary ability and that vocal imitation may be one strategy useful in vocabulary building.