The role of play objects and object play in human cognitive evolution and innovation

Abstract

In this contribution, we address a major puzzle in the evolution of human material culture: If maturing individuals just learn their parental generation's material culture, then what is the origin of key innovations as documented in the archeological record? We approach this question by coupling a life‐history model of the costs and benefits of experimentation with a niche‐construction perspective. Niche‐construction theory suggests that the behavior of organisms and their modification of the world around them have important evolutionary ramifications by altering developmental settings and selection pressures. Part of Homo sapiens' niche is the active provisioning of children with play objects — sometimes functional miniatures of adult tools — and the encouragement of object play, such as playful knapping with stones. Our model suggests that salient material culture innovation may occur or be primed in a late childhood or adolescence sweet spot when cognitive and physical abilities are sufficiently mature but before the full onset of the concerns and costs associated with reproduction. We evaluate the model against a series of archeological cases and make suggestions for future research.

Playing with language, creating complexity: Has play contributed to the evolution of complex language?

“…If one faithfully copies just the actions required for tool production, without receiving explanations and without a resulting understanding of the functional purpose of the outcome of such actions, then it is difficult to deviate from the target action in ways that enhance the structural and functional characteristics of the end product. Yet with respect to tool and object use, modern human children have a unique propensity for hypothesis testing and exploration . Similarly, while imitation may be sufficient for transmission of vocal communication systems with limited hierarchical structure (e.g., birdsong), it is insufficient to transmit the functional characteristics of communication systems with more complex structure.…”

“…Consequently, part of language acquisition entails entertaining hypotheses about how to generalize beyond the evidence. In the domain of object manipulation and tool use, Gopnik and colleagues have proposed that, because they are unencumbered by prior knowledge, children have greater innovative propensity than adults allowing them to consider a wider range of less plausible hypotheses . Several scholars have emphasized the potential of play for such hypothesis testing .…”

“…Yet with respect to tool and object use, modern human children have a unique propensity for hypothesis testing and exploration. [62][63][64] Similarly, while imitation may be sufficient for transmission of vocal communication systems with limited hierarchical structure (e.g., birdsong), it is insufficient to transmit the functional characteristics of communication systems with more complex structure. In the following, we will explore to what extent play may enhance the acquisition and transmission of language as a complex system that comprises non-overt rules and representations.…”

“…In the domain of object manipulation and tool use, Gopnik and colleagues have proposed that, because they are unencumbered by prior knowledge, children have greater innovative propensity than adults allowing them to consider a wider range of less plausible hypotheses. [64][65][66] Several scholars have emphasized the potential of play for such hypothesis testing. 66,95,96 However, children's innovative potential is more apparent in the acquisition of instrumental skills rather than social conventions.…”

The Exploration Advantage: Children’s instinct to explore allows them to find information that adults miss.

“…Across disciplines, researchers agree that humans' prolonged immaturity is integral to our unique intelligence (Deacon, 1998;Gentner & Goldin-Meadow, 2003;Gopnik et al, 2017;Papagianni & Morse, 2015;Piantadosi & Kidd, 2016;Riede, Johannsen, Högberg, Nowell, & Lombard, 2018;Sterelny, 2012;Tomasello, 2019). We tested a specific hypothesis about the relationship between prolonged childhood and human intelligence.…”