<P> Imitation (from Latin imitatio, "a copying, imitation") is an advanced behavior whereby an individual observes and replicates another's behavior . Imitation is also a form of social learning that leads to the "development of traditions, and ultimately our culture . It allows for the transfer of information (behaviours, customs, etc .) between individuals and down generations without the need for genetic inheritance ." The word imitation can be applied in many contexts, ranging from animal training to politics. . The term generally refers to conscious behavior; subconscious imitation is termed mirroring . </P> <P> In anthropology, some theories hold that all cultures imitate ideas from one of a few original cultures or several cultures whose influence overlaps geographically . Evolutionary diffusion theory holds that cultures influence one another, but that similar ideas can be developed in isolation . </P> <P> Scholars as well as popular authors have argued that the role of imitation in humans is unique among animals . Psychologist Kenneth Kaye showed that infants' ability to match the sounds or gestures of an adult depends on an interactive process of turn - taking over many successive trials, in which adults' instinctive behavior plays as great a role as that of the infant . These writers assume that evolution would have selected imitative abilities as fit because those who were good at it had a wider arsenal of learned behavior at their disposal, including tool - making and language . </P>

Give an example of a behavior you learned by imitation