Human-Computer Interaction Problem in Learning: Could the Key Be Hidden Somewhere Between Social Interaction and...

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Evolutionary Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Human tool invention is a defining characteristic, distinguishing Homo sapiens from other species.
• Tool development requires overcoming perceptual limitations of current materials, relying on the mental process of designing.
• The evolutionary origins of human design capabilities remain a key question in understanding cognition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose an evolutionary hypothesis, the referential triangle, explaining the origins of human tool invention.
• To explore the implications of this hypothesis for understanding artificial intelligence (AI) as a potential social partner.
• To advocate for the inclusion of AI-human social interaction in cultural psychological research.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis and hypothesis formulation based on evolutionary and cognitive principles.
• Theoretical exploration of the referential triangle model.
• Discussion of artificial intelligence's social behaviors within the proposed framework.

Main Results:

• The referential triangle hypothesis posits that direct social mental solutions are repurposed for indirect tool creation.
• Artificial intelligence, with its capacity for social signaling, challenges the traditional tool-user dichotomy.
• AI's social behavior suggests it could function as a partner within the human referential triangle.

Conclusions:

• The referential triangle provides a novel evolutionary framework for understanding human design and tool invention.
• Artificial intelligence's social capabilities necessitate a re-evaluation of its role beyond mere instrumentality.
• Future cultural psychological research should investigate children's social interactions with AI, mirroring human-human engagement.