TY - JOUR

T1 - Group membership does not modulate goal- versus movement-based imitation

AU - Genschow, Oliver

AU - Pauels, Eileen

AU - Krugmann, Katrin

AU - Winter, Alina

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © Experimental Psychology Society 2022.

PY - 2023/4

Y1 - 2023/4

N2 - It is often put forward that in-group members are imitated more strongly than out-group members. However, the validity of this claim has been questioned as recent investigations were not able to find differences for the imitation of in- versus out-group members. A central characteristic of these failed replications is their mere focus on movement-based imitation, thereby neglecting to take into consideration the superior goal of the movements. By using a computerised version of the pen-and-cups task, we disentangled movement- from goal-based imitation to shed further light onto the link between group membership and imitation. As previous research demonstrated that out-group members (as compared with in-group members) are represented psychologically distant and as psychological distance shifts the degree to which participants engage in goal- versus movement-based imitation, we predicted that in-group members (as compared with out-group members) shift the degree to which individuals imitate movements versus goals. The results did not confirm our predictions, as group membership does not modulate the degree of movement- versus goal-based imitation. Theoretical implications and the question whether imitative behaviour is socially modulated are discussed.

AB - It is often put forward that in-group members are imitated more strongly than out-group members. However, the validity of this claim has been questioned as recent investigations were not able to find differences for the imitation of in- versus out-group members. A central characteristic of these failed replications is their mere focus on movement-based imitation, thereby neglecting to take into consideration the superior goal of the movements. By using a computerised version of the pen-and-cups task, we disentangled movement- from goal-based imitation to shed further light onto the link between group membership and imitation. As previous research demonstrated that out-group members (as compared with in-group members) are represented psychologically distant and as psychological distance shifts the degree to which participants engage in goal- versus movement-based imitation, we predicted that in-group members (as compared with out-group members) shift the degree to which individuals imitate movements versus goals. The results did not confirm our predictions, as group membership does not modulate the degree of movement- versus goal-based imitation. Theoretical implications and the question whether imitative behaviour is socially modulated are discussed.

KW - goal- versus movement-based imitation

KW - group membership

KW - Imitation

KW - Management studies

KW - Psychology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85142605432&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/4b24ee67-c716-3f85-9397-d156c17e7cec/

U2 - 10.1177/17470218221132842

DO - 10.1177/17470218221132842

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 36214280

AN - SCOPUS:85142605432

VL - 76

SP - 827

EP - 837

JO - Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology

JF - Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology

SN - 1747-0218

IS - 4

ER -