Page:American Journal of Psychology Volume 21.djvu/11



VOL. XXI

If in reply to the question "Do birds imitate one another?" the writer should answer merely in the affirmative, what would such a statement mean? To most people it would mean that birds individually seeing other birds perform a certain act, say pulling a string to open a door, copy this act more or less consciously and purposefully with a definite end in view. Such a reply would be understood to mean that all imitation is identical with that which conscious or possibly self-conscious adult human beings find in themselves. Perhaps a more