Berry, Imitation in Cats. 21 



the attention of Y until the association changed to rolling-of-ball 

 with getting-of-food. The facility with which an animal imitates 

 will depend, in large measure, upon how closely it attends to what 

 the trained animal is doing. If it does not watch closely what is 

 being done, the association is almost sure to bethe-trained-catwith 

 the-getting-of-food. And if this association is once stamped in, it 

 is doubtful whether imitation can occur. 



In voluntary imitation the act is performed not merely from 

 impulse, but for the food or freedom that may result from its per- 

 formance. In instinctive imitation, the performance of the act 

 by the imitatee is sufficient stimulus to call out a similar response 

 on the part of the imitator. In other words, the animal sees and 

 then finds itself performing the act. 



The subject of instinctive imitation has been passed over very 

 hurriedly by most students of animal behavior. They seem to 

 conclude that if a high type of voluntary imitation does not exist 

 among the lower animals, imitation is of but little importance. 

 Now I am convinced from my work with rats and cats that instinc- 

 tive imitation is a factor of very great importance in the mental 

 development of these animals. In nearly all my experiments 

 instances of instinctive imitation were common. For example, 

 in Experiment 2, Z seeing X pull at the knot, went to it, seized it 

 and pulled hard enough to open the door. After they were fed 

 and put back into the box, Z pulled the knot first, X then tried 

 it, and after she had stopped, Y seized it and pulled hard enough 

 to open the door. It was through instinctivejmitation that the 

 cats learned to get out of the box. X was the first cat to find the 

 knot, yet it was Z imitating X who opened the door. The next 

 time Y opened the door after Z had pulled the knot. When they 

 were put back for the third time Z went directly to the knot and 

 opened the door. 



Z, being the most intelligent of the three cats, was the first to 

 acquire the association between the pulling of the knot and the 

 opening of the door. The other two cats subsequently learned to 

 get out by imitating Z. I think this experiment well illustrates 

 the importance of instinctive imitation. 



Experiment 3 is also very illuminating in respect to instinctive 

 imitation. After Z had been thoroughly tested without succeed- 

 ing in getting out, X was put in with her. They got out four times 

 in less than fifteen minutes. The first two times X turned the 



