The ability of human newborns to imitate facial and hand movements when in an appropriate waking behavioural state and under strict experimental conditions. The ability drops out the repertoire to reappear some months later in the form as originally described by Piaget (i.e., emulation that involves not just the imitation of ends, but also the means). Such a developmental scenario suggests that newborn imitation may be an ontogenetic adaptation for establishing some form of communication immediately after birth or what Colwyn Trevarthen referred to as ‘intersubjective mirroring’ [the notion of intersubjectivity being something that William James (1842-1910) struggled to understand].
See Correspondence problem, Emulation, Imitation, Newborn, Newborn behavioral states, Newborn swimming, Ontogenetic adaptation, Pre-reaching