Pretense was defined as “activities in which an inanimate object is treated as though it were animate, or is substituted for another object, and activities which resemble everyday activities but which occur in the absence of the necessary materials”. Imitation of pretense was coded when an individual reproduced a symbolic action immediately after it was demonstrated by the partner. A pretense/imitative act started when an individual picked up a toy and began a pretend/imitative action with it, or the person switched from exploratory or functional play with a toy toan act of pretense/imitation. A pretense/imitative action was over when the individual put down the toy or began to engage in functional or exploratory play with it. The same definition of pretense and imitation of pretense was used for mothers and children. Exploratory and functional play, which involved behaviors such as banging, throwing, and manually manipulating objects in an appropriate way, were not coded.