The interaction engine: cuteness selection and the evolution of the interactional base for language

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary Anthropology
• Comparative Psychology
• Linguistics

Background:

• Human language exhibits deep structural diversity, suggesting a flexible capacity rather than a rigid template.
• This capacity is hypothesized to have an interactional foundation with precursors observable in other primates.
• The development of an empathetic intentional stance is a key, yet puzzling, aspect of this interactional base.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore a specific evolutionary pathway for the development of the human empathetic intentional stance.
• To propose a mechanism, 'cuteness selection,' analogous to sexual selection, driving this evolutionary route.
• To establish this mechanism as a cornerstone for the development of language acquisition capacity.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical exploration of evolutionary processes in social cognition and language development.
• Comparative analysis of mother-infant interaction patterns and their generalization across social contexts.
• Analogy drawn to R.A. Fisher's runaway sexual selection to explain 'cuteness selection'.

Main Results:

• Proposes 'cuteness selection' as a driver for generalizing mother-infant interaction patterns to all adults.
• Identifies this generalization as a crucial step in developing the empathetic intentional stance.
• Establishes the empathetic intentional stance as foundational for the human capacity for language.

Conclusions:

• The evolution of language capacity is rooted in interactional abilities with primate precursors.
• Cuteness selection offers a plausible evolutionary route for developing empathetic intentionality.
• This socio-cognitive foundation is essential for the emergence of culturally transmitted language systems.