The function and evolution of child-directed communication.
Johanna Schick1,2, Caroline Fryns2,3, Franziska Wegdell1,2
1Department of Comparative Language Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Plos Biology
|May 6, 2022
Summary
Adult great apes rarely use child-directed communication (CDC). Instead, communication surrounding the infant (CSC) may be crucial for learning, especially when CDC is less common. Future studies should explore this vital topic.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Anthropology
- Comparative Psychology
- Linguistics
Background:
- Humans use distinctive child-directed communication (CDC) to foster social bonds and language acquisition in infants.
- Similar communication patterns exist in some vocally learning animals, suggesting shared functions in developing communicative abilities.
- Adult great apes, however, exhibit limited direct communication with their infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of communication surrounding infants in great apes and early humans.
- To explore the potential compensatory function of child-surrounding communication (CSC) in contexts with less CDC.
- To highlight CSC as a critical area for future research in comparative communication.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of communication patterns in humans and great apes.
- Review of existing literature on child-directed communication (CDC) and infant-directed speech.
- Hypothesizing the functional significance of communication surrounding infants (CSC).
Main Results:
- Adult great apes infrequently engage in direct communication with their infants.
- Communication surrounding the infant (CSC) is proposed as the primary input for infant great apes and ancestral humans.
- Cross-cultural variations in CDC suggest CSC may compensate for reduced direct interaction.
Conclusions:
- Child-surrounding communication (CSC) may play a significant role in communicative development, particularly in species or contexts with limited child-directed communication (CDC).
- Understanding CSC is essential for comprehending the evolution of communication and language acquisition in humans and related species.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms and impact of CSC across different populations and species.
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