▁with ▁all ▁forms ▁of ▁im itation , ▁the ▁individual ▁lear ns ▁and ▁successfully ▁reprodu ces ▁the ▁observed ▁sequence . ▁The ▁observer ▁in ▁our ▁example , ▁like ▁most ▁of ▁us , ▁pres umably ▁knows ▁how ▁to ▁operate ▁an ▁AT M ▁( nam ely , ▁that ▁you ▁have ▁to ▁push ▁X ▁number ▁of ▁buttons ▁on ▁the ▁AT M ▁screen ▁in ▁a ▁specific ▁sequence ), ▁so ▁the ▁specific ▁motor ▁responses ▁of ▁touch ing ▁the ▁screen ▁isn ' t ▁what ▁the ▁th ief ▁is ▁learning . ▁Instead , ▁the ▁th ief ▁could ▁learn ▁two ▁types ▁of ▁abstract ▁rules . ▁On ▁the ▁one ▁hand , ▁the ▁th ief ▁can ▁learn ▁a ▁spatial ▁rule : ▁touch ▁item ▁in ▁the ▁top ▁right , ▁followed ▁by ▁item ▁on ▁the ▁top ▁left , ▁then ▁the ▁item ▁in ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁screen , ▁and ▁finally ▁the ▁one ▁on ▁lower ▁right . ▁This ▁would ▁be ▁an ▁example ▁of ▁motor - sp atial ▁im itation ▁because ▁the ▁th ief ' s ▁response ▁is ▁gu ided ▁by ▁an ▁abstract ▁motor - sp atial ▁rule . ▁On ▁the ▁other , ▁the ▁th ief ▁could ▁ignore ▁the ▁spatial ▁pattern ing ▁of ▁the ▁observed ▁responses ▁and ▁instead ▁focus ▁on ▁the ▁particular ▁items ▁that ▁were ▁touched , ▁generating ▁an ▁abstract ▁numerical ▁rule , ▁independently ▁of ▁where ▁they ▁are ▁in ▁space : ▁ 3 - 1 - 5 - 9 . ▁This ▁would ▁const itute ▁an ▁example ▁of ▁cogn itive ▁im itation ▁because ▁the ▁individuals ▁is ▁copying ▁an ▁abstract ▁serial ▁rule ▁without ▁copying ▁specific ▁motor - respons es . ▁In