After seeing an action sequence children and adults tend to copy causally relevant and,
more strikingly, even perceivably unnecessary actions in relation to the given goal. This …

Highlights•Cognitive research run in zoos is topically representative of the field
generally.•Most zoo research is with primates, but there is little work with other species.•Zoos …

Social learning in animals is now well documented, but few studies have determined the
contexts shaping when social learning is deployed. Theoretical studies predict copying of …

How animals react to novel food and objects is commonly thought of as a crucial step toward
innovations. One would therefore expect innovative species to be attracted to novelty and …

Rituals are a ubiquitous feature of human behavior, yet we know little about the cognitive
mechanisms that enable children to recognize them and respond accordingly. In this study …

Innovation and social learning are the pillars of cultural evolution, allowing cultural
behaviours to cumulatively advance over generations. Yet, little is known about individual …

Given the widespread interest in the development of children's selective social learning,
there is mounting evidence suggesting that infants prefer to learn from competent informants …

From preschool age, humans tend to imitate causally irrelevant actions—they over‐imitate.
This study investigated whether children over‐imitate even when they know a more efficient …

Humans have created and maintained an exponentially large and sophisticated behavioral
corpus over evolutionary time. In no small part this was achieved due to our tendency to …

Researchers commonly use puppets in development science. Amongst other things,
puppets are employed to reduce social hierarchies between child participants and adult …