Imitative learning is a type of social learning whereby new behaviors are acquired via imitation.[1] Imitation aids in communication, social interaction, and the ability to modulate one's emotions to account for the emotions of others, and is "essential for healthy sensorimotor development and social functioning".[1] The ability to match one's actions to those observed in others occurs in humans and animals;[1] imitative learning plays an important role in humans in cultural development.[2] Imitative learning is different from observational learning in that it requires a duplication of the behaviour exhibited by the model, whereas observational learning can occur when the learner observes an unwanted behaviour and its subsequent consequences and as a result learns to avoid that behaviour.