Final answer:
The act of five-year-olds copying irrelevant actions performed by adults, such as stroking a jar with a feather before retrieving a toy, is termed over imitation. This behavior is a form of observational learning where children copy adults, believing there is a purpose to their actions, despite the actions being unnecessary.
Step-by-step explanation:
The behavior described where five-year-olds copy senseless and irrelevant adult actions, such as stroking a plastic jar with a feather before reaching inside the jar for a toy, best illustrates over imitation. This is a learning process during which children tend to meticulously copy adult behaviors, irrespective of their relevance or practical necessity. This phenomenon showcases how children can sometimes adopt behaviors in an effort to be like adults or because they believe there is some unseen purpose, even if the actions seem unnecessary.
Observational learning plays a significant role in the development of children. They observe and imitate the behaviors of others, especially adults and older children, as part of their learning process. This can include behaviors that serve as models for their own actions, sometimes resulting in positive outcomes when they imitate prosocial actions, or negative outcomes, such as when they reproduce antisocial behaviors they have witnessed.
Moreover, humans learn behaviors through both conditioning and imitation. While innate behaviors such as reflexes and instincts do not require learning, acquired behaviors, such as the one described, are a result of observing and mimicking the actions of others.