Final answer:
Generalized imitation in infants is present across actions, and research shows that infants demonstrate early communication skills and preferences for specific sights and sounds. These imitative behaviors are part of the learning process and important for infant development.
Step-by-step explanation:
Recent research on generalized imitation in infants less than 2 years old has generally found that imitation is present across actions (C). This conclusion is consistent with evidence that infants develop language and communication skills early on, showing preferences for faces and voices, especially those of their caregivers.
Studies indicate that communication through gesturing occurs before speech and babies show a preference for voices over other sounds. Newborns also demonstrate innate preferences that facilitate interaction, such as a strong sense of smell, allowing them to recognize their mother's scent, which is essential for their physical development and social interactions.
Moreover, cultural context impacts the achievement of developmental milestones. The babbling stage is a universal phase in language development, further highlighting infants' abilities to imitate sounds and gestures as a form of basic behavioral characteristics, intrinsic to their learning process.