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Communication

Communication

Communication between two animals occurs when one animal transmits an information signal that causes a change in the animal that receives the information. Organisms communicate with one another in a host of different ways. Signals can be auditory, chemical, visual, tactile, or a combination of these. Communication is a critical behavioral adaptation that promotes survival, growth, and reproduction.

Communication

Communication

Sharing information, concepts, and emotions to foster mutual understanding is communication. The sender, recipient, and transaction must be considered in this manner. The sender is the person who shares the message, the recipient is the person who receives and understands the message, and the transaction is the method used to deliver the message and the variables that affect the communication's context and surroundings. The nurse-client connection is built on therapeutic communication.

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Nonconscious mimicry occurs when individuals alter their mannerisms to match the behaviors and expressions of those nearby, without intention.

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Language is a unique communication system that uses words and systematic rules to organize and transmit information. Unlike other forms of communication, which may involve postures, movements, odors, or vocalizations, language relies on symbols and grammar. This makes human communication distinct from that of other species, who also communicate but do not use language in the same way humans do.
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Channels of Non-Verbal Communication

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 18, 2026

Author Spotlight: Investigating Vocal Information Representation in Small Primates and Its Alteration by Psychiatric Disorders Using Noninvasive EEG

Author Spotlight: Investigating Vocal Information Representation in Small Primates and Its Alteration by Psychiatric Disorders Using Noninvasive EEG

Published on: July 26, 2024

A stepping stone to compositionality in chimpanzee communication.

Linda S Oña^1,2, Wendy Sandler³, Katja Liebal²

¹Max Planck Research Group 'Naturalistic Social Cognition', Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.

|October 1, 2019

Summary

Chimpanzee communication shows componentiality, where combining gestures and facial expressions alters messages, suggesting a step toward human language compositionality. This study explored signal combinations in chimpanzee interactions.

Keywords:

Chimpanzees Communication Componentiality Compositionality Facial expressions Gestures Language evolution Multimodality

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 18, 2026

Author Spotlight: Investigating Vocal Information Representation in Small Primates and Its Alteration by Psychiatric Disorders Using Noninvasive EEG

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Published on: July 26, 2024

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Author Spotlight: Deciphering the Cognitive and Neural Mechanisms of Gesture in Communication

Author Spotlight: Deciphering the Cognitive and Neural Mechanisms of Gesture in Communication

Published on: January 26, 2024

Area of Science:

Primate communication
Evolution of language
Animal behavior

Background:

Human language is compositional, meaning complex expressions derive from parts and their combination.
Comparative research seeks precursors to human language features in primate communication.
Chimpanzee communication involves gestures and facial expressions, but their simultaneous combination is poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate evidence for compositional structures in chimpanzee communication.
To determine if combining manual gestures with facial expressions alters message meaning.
To analyze context-dependent usage of these combined signals.

Main Methods:

Studied two semi-wild chimpanzee groups, focusing on manual gestures and facial expressions.
Used form-based coding of video footage to identify gestures (stretched arm, bent arm) and facial expressions (bared teeth, funneled lip).
Analyzed recipient responses to specific gesture + face combinations across different social contexts.

Main Results:

Specific combinations of gestures and facial expressions impacted recipient responses in positive social contexts.
Adding a bared teeth face to a gesture modified the likelihood of affiliative behavior.
Demonstrated recombinability of signals (componentiality), but not consistent meaning across combinations (compositionality).

Conclusions:

Chimpanzee communication exhibits componentiality, a potential precursor to language compositionality.
Combined signals in chimpanzees can alter message interpretation and elicit different responses.
Componentiality in chimpanzees represents a significant step toward understanding the evolution of compositional language.