A methodological behaviourist model for imitation

Abstract

Byrne & Russon's text displays all the difficulties involved in approaching imitation in a non- methodological behaviourist perspective. Their conceptual apparatus is grounded in a mix of introspection and folk psychology. Their distinction between action level and program level imitation falters on goal imputation for sequential acts. An alternative gradient descent model is propounded: behaviour can be modelled as a frustration/satisfaction gradient descent within the animal's potentiality-space as defined by knowledge, inventiveness and surrounding universe.