4 May 2004

Imitation in Norway

A team of six psychologists from the University of Dundee are flying to Norway this week - a return research trip with their Norwegian colleagues on how imitation - like a baby imitates its mother - can be used to help people with autism and dementia.

Last year a team of psychologists from the University of Bergen in Norway - world leaders in imitation research - came to Scotland to meet with experts from the University of Dundee to explore the potential of imitation to improve the social skills of people with impaired communicative abilities. Now a year later, the Dundee team is heading to Norway

Michelle McLaren will tell the conference of her preliminary findings of a study she has been doing with pre-school autistic children. She has found that if both the parent and child are given the same toy the parent imitates what the child is doing with the toy which the child finds assuring. Michelle has also noted that the parent and child become physically closer and spend more side by side when they are imitating. The imitation helps interaction between the parents and children - the two become more engaged with each other. Michelle says that her first findings show that imitation gives children their own language for communicating with their parents.

Dr Suzanne Zeedyk at the University of Dundee said: "It has been known for some time that imitation occurs spontaneously in the early interactions of parents and infants and research now suggests complex forms of imitation and turn-taking are fundamental to all types of human communicative exchange. A large group of people will be gathering in Norway to hear the keynote lectures that two of our team will be delivering.

By Jenny Marra, Head of Press 01382 344910, out of hours: 07968298585, j.m.marra@dundee.ac.uk