Imitation as a type of imitative linguocreative activity of a linguistic personality (based on the material of I. L. Andronikov's stories)

Despite the long history of studying the phenomenon of imitation within various fields of knowledge, the subject retains a significant research interest, reflecting the enduring challenge of defining imitation with precision. Concurrently, researchers typically exclude imitation from the scope of creative activity, given that it is primarily characterized by the usual copying of a model. However, a number of psychologists argue that imitation plays a pivotal role in fostering creativity in children, particularly during the initial stages of development. This process comprises three stages. The initial stage is characterized by copying the model, which may be considered a pre-creative phase. The second stage involves the introduction of elements of creative reflection, marking the transition from the pre-creative phase to the initial stage of creativity. The third stage represents a departure from the model and a pursuit of a novel, personally creative solution to the problem. In the article on the material of I. L. Andronikov’s autobiographical stories, the phenomenon of creative imitation is considered as one of the types of imitative linguocreative activity of the speaking subject. The research findings revealed that that the creation of a character of I. L. Andronikov’s story on the basis of creative imitation of the model goes through the following stages: 1) observation of the model, whereby certain salient features are isolated; 2) ‘appropriation’ of these features, namely direct copying of the highlighted features of the model; 3) assumption of recognition and exploitation of the created image as an independent entity in oral stories at this stage. The analysis demonstrated that the primary means of creative imitation is intonation, whereby the created image is verbally presented to the audience from the stage. It can be concluded that there is little overlap between creative imitation and mechanical copying

Cognitive imitation · Copying · Creativity · Imitation · Phenomenon · Salient · Language, Communication, and Linguistic Studies · Psycholinguistics and Behavioral Studies · Psychology of Development and Education