Joint Attention in Human and Chimpanzee Infants in Varied Socio‐Ecological Contexts

Abstract

Joint attention (JA) is an early manifestation of social cognition, commonly described as interactions in which an infant looks or gestures to an adult female to share attention about an object, within a positive emotional atmosphere. We label this description the JA phenotype. We argue that characterizing JA in this way reflects unexamined assumptions which are, in part, due to past developmental researchers' primary focus on western, middleclass infants and families. We describe a range of cultural variations in caregiving practices, socialization goals, and parenting ethnotheories as an essential initial step in viewing joint attention within inclusive and contextualized perspectives.We begin the process of conducting a decolonized study of JA by considering the core construct of joint attention (i.e., triadic connectedness) and adopting culturally inclusive definitions (labeled joint engagement [JE]). Our JE definitions allow for attention and engagement to be expressed in visual and tactile modalities (e.g., for infants experiencing distal or proximal caregiving), with various social partners (e.g., peers, older siblings, mothers), with a range of shared topics (e.g., representing diverse socialization goals, and socio-ecologies with and without toys), and with a range of emotional tone (e.g., for infants living in cultures valuing calmness and low arousal, and

Assessing cats’ (Felis catus) sensitivity to human pointing gestures

“…The results of the present study show cats’ ability to follow human direct pointing gestures (Bard, 2021), which replicates findings of a previous study (Miklósi et al 2005). Additionally, we show cats to be sensitive to ipsilateral (cross-body) pointing cues.…”

“…Trial number (GLMM: estimate ± standard deviation = -0.009 ± 0.032, z-value = -0.284, p = 0.776), rewarded side (GLMM: estimate ± standard deviation = 0.238 ± 0.371, z-value = 0.372, p = 0.709) and type of gesture (GLMM: estimate ± standard deviation = 0.667 ± 0.374, z-value = 1.78, p = 0.074) did not significantly affect the cats' performances in the experiment (intercept: GLMM: estimate ± standard deviation = 0.797 ± 0.473, z-value = 1.685, p = 0.091). Overall, 2 % of the variation in performance was explained by all fixed factors together (R 2 marginal), and an additional 2 % of the variation in performance was explained The results of the present study show cat's ability to follow human ipsilateral pointing gestures (Bard et al, 2021), which replicates findings of a previous study (Miklósi et al 2005).…”

“…Pointing presents a species specific human communicative signal (Bard et al, 2021). The ability of humans to understand pointing with a hand as an object-directed action develops at the age of between 9 and 12 months (Woodward & Guajardo, 2002).…”

“…A wide range of non-human animal species have been shown to be able to respond to human referential signals, such as pointing gestures (Krause et al, 2018; Miklósi & Soproni, 2006). Pointing presents a species specific human communicative signal (Bard et al, 2021). The ability of humans to understand pointing with a hand as an object-directed action develops at the age of between 9 and 12 months (Woodward & Guajardo, 2002).…”

Young children share imagined possibilities: evidence for an early-emerging human competence

“…The available comparative evidence indicates that this early-emerging human capacity is not observed in great apes-although further comparative and cross-cultural research is needed to firmly establish such a cross-species claim [40]. Granted that children can contemplate and share possibilities and do so well before they respond optimally on the forked tubes task (i.e.…”