scholarly journals Ocular pigmentation in humans, great apes, and gibbons is not suggestive of communicative functions - having an eye on the ‘cooperative eye hypothesis’

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai R. Caspar ◽  
Marco Biggemann ◽  
Thomas Geissmann ◽  
Sabine Begall
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognition ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Great Apes ◽  
Human Condition ◽  
Gaze Following ◽  
Communicative Functions ◽  
Cryptic Coloration ◽  
Visible Part ◽  
Eye Pigmentation ◽  
Scleral Pigmentation

AbstractPigmentation patterns of the visible part of the eyeball, encompassing the iris and portions of the sclera, have been discussed to be linked to social cognition in primates. In the context of the cooperative eye hypothesis, the white sclera of humans has been viewed as a derived adaptive trait, enhancing communication via glance cueing. Here, we provide a comparative analysis of ocular pigmentation patterns in 15 species of hominoids (humans, great apes & gibbons) representing all extant ape genera, based on photographs and literature data. Additionally, we quantify hominoid scleral exposure on the genus level during different glancing situations. Our data reveals a continuum of eye pigmentation traits among the studied taxa. Gibbons display darker, more uniformly colored eyes than great apes and expose less sclera, particularly during averted glancing. Iridoscleral contrasts in orangutans and gorillas approach the human condition but differ between congeneric species. Contrary to recent discussions, we found chimpanzee eyes to exhibit a cryptic coloration scheme that resembles gibbons more than other great apes and that does not enhance glance cueing or gaze following. We critically evaluate the evidence for links between social cognition and eye pigmentation in primates, concluding that the cooperative eye hypothesis cannot convincingly explain the patterns observed. Although the human eye exhibits unique traits that are likely linked to social communication, high iridoscleral contrast is not one of them. Differences in scleral pigmentation between great apes and humans are gradual and might have arisen via genetic drift and sexual selection.

scholarly journals Ocular pigmentation in humans, great apes, and gibbons is not suggestive of communicative functions

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai R. Caspar ◽  
Marco Biggemann ◽  
Thomas Geissmann ◽  
Sabine Begall
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognition ◽  
Great Apes ◽  
Human Condition ◽  
Congeneric Species ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Communicative Functions ◽  
Cryptic Coloration ◽  
Visible Part ◽  
Eye Pigmentation ◽  
Scleral Pigmentation

AbstractPigmentation patterns of the visible part of the eyeball, encompassing the iris and portions of the sclera, have been discussed to be linked to social cognition in primates. The cooperative eye hypothesis suggests the white sclera of humans to be a derived adaptive trait that enhances eye-mediated communication. Here, we provide a comparative analysis of ocular pigmentation patterns in 15 species of hominoids (humans, great apes & gibbons) that show marked differences in social cognition and quantify scleral exposure at the genus level. Our data reveals a continuum of eye pigmentation traits in hominoids which does not align with the complexity of gaze-mediated communication in the studied taxa. Gibbons display darker eyes than great apes and expose less sclera. Iridoscleral contrasts in orangutans and gorillas approach the human condition but differ between congeneric species. Contrary to recent discussions, we found chimpanzee eyes to exhibit a cryptic coloration scheme that resembles gibbons more than other apes. We reevaluate the evidence for links between social cognition and eye pigmentation in primates, concluding that the cooperative eye hypothesis cannot explain the patterns observed. Differences in scleral pigmentation between great apes and humans are gradual and might have arisen via genetic drift and sexual selection.

scholarly journals Scleral pigmentation leads to conspicuous, not cryptic, eye morphology in chimpanzees

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (39) ◽  
pp. 19248-19250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Olvido Perea-García ◽  
Mariska E. Kret ◽  
Antónia Monteiro ◽  
Catherine Hobaiter
Keyword(s):  
Great Apes ◽  
Gaze Following ◽  
Eye Morphology ◽  
Social Cue ◽  
Relative Contrast ◽  
Perceptual Mechanism ◽  
Scleral Pigmentation ◽  
Human Specific

Gaze following has been argued to be uniquely human, facilitated by our depigmented, white sclera [M. Tomasello, B. Hare, H. Lehmann, J. Call, J. Hum. Evol. 52, 314–320 (2007)]—the pale area around the colored iris—and to underpin human-specific behaviors such as language. Today, we know that great apes show diverse patterns of scleral coloration [J. A. Mayhew, J. C. Gómez, Am. J. Primatol. 77, 869–877 (2015); J. O. Perea García, T. Grenzner, G. Hešková, P. Mitkidis, Commun. Integr. Biol. 10, e1264545 (2016)]. We compare scleral coloration and its relative contrast with the iris in bonobos, chimpanzees, and humans. Like humans, bonobos’ sclerae are lighter relative to the color of their irises; chimpanzee sclerae are darker than their irises. The relative contrast between the sclera and iris in all 3 species is comparable, suggesting a perceptual mechanism to explain recent evidence that nonhuman great apes also rely on gaze as a social cue.

scholarly journals From Gaze Perception to Social Cognition: The Shared-Attention System

2021 ◽  
pp. 174569162095377
Author(s):  
Lisa J. Stephenson ◽  
S. Gareth Edwards ◽  
Andrew P. Bayliss
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognition ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Evaluation Agency ◽  
Gaze Following ◽  
Gaze Perception ◽  
Shared Attention ◽  
New Findings ◽  
Attention System ◽  
Sas Model

When two people look at the same object in the environment and are aware of each other’s attentional state, they find themselves in a shared-attention episode. This can occur through intentional or incidental signaling and, in either case, causes an exchange of information between the two parties about the environment and each other’s mental states. In this article, we give an overview of what is known about the building blocks of shared attention (gaze perception and joint attention) and focus on bringing to bear new findings on the initiation of shared attention that complement knowledge about gaze following and incorporate new insights from research into the sense of agency. We also present a neurocognitive model, incorporating first-, second-, and third-order social cognitive processes (the shared-attention system, or SAS), building on previous models and approaches. The SAS model aims to encompass perceptual, cognitive, and affective processes that contribute to and follow on from the establishment of shared attention. These processes include fundamental components of social cognition such as reward, affective evaluation, agency, empathy, and theory of mind.

Infant gaze following and pointing predict accelerated vocabulary growth through two years of age: a longitudinal, growth curve modeling study

2008 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 207-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
RECHELE BROOKS ◽  
ANDREW N. MELTZOFF
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognition ◽  
Growth Curve ◽  
Maternal Education ◽  
Target Object ◽  
Growth Curve Modeling ◽  
Gaze Following ◽  
Experimental Setting ◽  
Vocabulary Growth ◽  
Curve Modeling

ABSTRACTWe found that infant gaze following and pointing predicts subsequent language development. At ages 0 ; 10 or 0 ; 11, infants saw an adult turn to look at an object in an experimental setting. Productive vocabulary was assessed longitudinally through two years of age. Growth curve modeling showed that infants who gaze followed and looked longer at the target object had significantly faster vocabulary growth than infants with shorter looks, even with maternal education controlled; adding infant pointing strengthened the model. We highlight the role of social cognition in word learning and emphasize the communicative-referential functions of early gaze following and pointing.

scholarly journals Can young children learn words from a robot?

2011 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yusuke Moriguchi ◽  
Takayuki Kanda ◽  
Hiroshi Ishiguro ◽  
Yoko Shimada ◽  
Shoji Itakura
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognition ◽  
Preschool Children ◽  
Cognitive Development ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Word Learning ◽  
Human Condition ◽  
Chance Level ◽  
Developmental Difference ◽  
Novel Objects ◽  
Better Than

Young children generally learn words from other people. Recent research has shown that children can learn new actions and skills from nonhuman agents. This study examines whether young children could learn words from a robot. Preschool children were shown a video in which either a woman (human condition) or a mechanical robot (robot condition) labeled novel objects. Then the children were asked to select the objects according to the names used in the video. The results revealed that children in the human condition were more likely to select the correct objects than those in the robot condition. Nevertheless, the five-year-old children in the robot condition performed significantly better than chance level, while the four-year olds did not. Thus there is a developmental difference in children’s potential to learn words from a robot. The results contribute to our understanding of how children interact with non-human agents. Keywords: developmental cybernetics; word learning; social cognition; cognitive development

scholarly journals Genetic Differences Between Humans and Great Apes –Implications for the Evolution of Humans

2004 ◽  
Vol 213 ◽  
pp. 343-348
Author(s):  
Ajit Varki
Keyword(s):  
Common Ancestor ◽  
Great Apes ◽  
Human Condition ◽  
Microbial Pathogens ◽  
Mammalian Brain ◽  
Gene Products ◽  
Social Origin ◽  
Surface Molecules ◽  
Oncofetal Antigens ◽  
Human Brain Development

At the level of individual protein sequences, humans are 97–100% identical to the great apes, our closest evolutionary relatives. The evolution of humans (and of human intelligence) from a common ancestor with the chimpanzee and bonobo involved many steps, influenced by interactions amongst factors of genetic, developmental, ecological, microbial, climatic, behavioral, cultural and social origin. The genetic factors can be approached by direct comparisons of human and great ape genomes, genes and gene products, and by elucidating biochemical and biological consequences of any differences found. We have discovered multiple genetic and biochemical differences between humans and great apes, particularly with respect to a family of cell surface molecules called sialic acids, as well as in the metabolism of thyroid hormones. The hormone differences have potential consequences for human brain development. The differences in sialic acid biology have multiple implications for the human condition, ranging from susceptibility or resistance to microbial pathogens, effects on endogenous receptors in the immune system, and potential effects on placental signaling, expression of oncofetal antigens in cancers, consequences of dietary intake of animal foods, and development of the mammalian brain.

Social Communication Difficulties in Children with TBI and the Relationship to Measures of Social Cognition.

2018 ◽  
Vol 99 (11) ◽  
pp. e178
Author(s):  
Alison Haight ◽  
Eva Carrier ◽  
Helen Genova ◽  
Jean Lengenfelder ◽  
John DeLuca
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognition ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Communication Difficulties ◽  
The Relationship

scholarly journals Northern bald ibises follow others’ gaze into distant space but not behind barriers

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias-Claudio Loretto ◽  
Christian Schloegl ◽  
Thomas Bugnyar
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Evidence ◽  
Great Apes ◽  
Gaze Following ◽  
Visual Orientation ◽  
Cognitive Differences ◽  
Geronticus Eremita ◽  
Stark Contrast ◽  
First Time

Gaze following is the ability to use the visual orientation of others as a trigger to look in the same direction. Thereby, animals may either align their head and eye orientation with others (gaze following into distant space) or may even reposition themselves to look behind barriers impairing their perception (geometrical gaze following). It has been proposed that these two different modes are functionally and cognitively distinct, but experimental evidence for this claim is lacking. We here, to our knowledge, demonstrate for the first time, that adult animals may be capable of following gaze into distant space, but not geometrically around barriers. We tested Northern bald ibises ( Geronticus eremita ) for their ability to follow a conspecific's gaze in two standard tasks. The birds readily looked up after seeing a model bird looking up; however, when seeing a model looking behind a barrier, they responded by looking at the barrier instead of walking around. These findings are in stark contrast to results obtained with great apes and corvids and provide the first experimental evidence, to our knowledge, for cognitive differences in gaze following tasks.

scholarly journals FASTER and SCOTT&EVA Trainings for Adults with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ludger Tebartz van Elst ◽  
Thomas Fangmeier ◽  
Ulrich Max Schaller ◽  
Oliver Hennig ◽  
Meinhard Kieser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Cognition ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Responsiveness ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Computer Based Training ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Computer Based

Abstract Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a chronic neurodevelopmental condition with a prevalence rate above 1%, characterized by deficits in social communication and interaction, restrictive, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities as well as a preference for sameness and routines. The majority of adult ASD patients suffer from comorbid conditions such as depression and anxiety. Therapy options for adult ASD patients are lacking, with presently no available evidence-based interventions in Germany. Recently, two interventions to improve social responsiveness have been published. FASTER (“Freiburger Asperger-Spezifische Therapie für ERwachsene” = Freiburg Asperger specific therapy for adults) is a manualized group psychotherapy program including three modules on psychoeducation, stress regulation management as well as non-verbal and verbal social communication training with videotaped tasks. SCOTT&EVA (“Social Cognition Training Tool”, and its enhancement “Emotionen Verstehen und Ausdruecken” = understanding and expressing emotions) is a computer-based training program to enhance social cognition including video and audio material of emotional expressions and complex real-life social situations. Initial studies for both programs have shown good feasibility and efficacy. Methods: 360 adult participants with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) will take part in a randomized controlled three-armed multicenter trial to prove the efficacy of manualized group psychotherapy and a manualized computer-based training program. Both interventions will be compared with a treatment as usual (TAU) group, aiming to establish evidence-based psychotherapy approaches for adult individuals with ASD. The primary outcome is evaluated by parents, spouses, or others who have sufficient insight into the respective participant’s social communication and interaction, and will be measured with the Social Responsiveness Scale. First, the differences between both interventions in comparison to TAU will be analyzed. If there are significant differences both interventions will be tested confirmatorily.Discussion: The trial is the first to validate psychiatric therapeutic options for adult ASD patients in Germany. A trial is needed because the prevalence of ASD in adulthood without intellectual disability is high, and no evidence-based intervention can be offered in Germany.Trial Registration: DRKS00017817, German Clinical Trial Register, Registered 20 April 2020, https://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00017817

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