Which description best reflects formal similarity?

• A. The imitator's response is emitted in the same context as the model's response
• B. The imitator's response is reinforced only after reinforcement for the model's action
• C. The imitator's response has the same physical form as the model's action
• D. The imitator learns by generalizing to a new function

Answer: (C)

Form similarity in imitation means the observer’s response mirrors the model’s action in the same physical form. When the imitator reproduces the exact topography of the model’s movement—the same shape, posture, and motor pattern—we have formal similarity. This is why the description that the imitator’s response has the same physical form as the model’s action best captures the idea: it emphasizes the physical mirroring that makes imitation recognizable and transferable to the imitator’s own repertoire.

The other descriptions describe related ideas but not the topographic mirroring. Responding in the same context speaks to situational or contextual similarity, not the form of the movement. Reinforcement tied to the model’s action concerns reinforcement processes rather than the immediate structural similarity of responses. Generalizing to a new function addresses functional transfer, not the exact physical form of the response.