{"title":"Spatial communication systems and action.","authors":"Kenny R Coventry, Holger Diessel","doi":"10.1016/j.tics.2024.10.002","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Spatial cognition is fundamental to our species. One might therefore expect that spatial communication systems would have evolved to make common distinctions. However, many have argued that spatial communication systems exhibit considerable cross-linguistic diversity, challenging the view that space structures language. We review recent work on spatial communication that merits revisiting the relationship between language and space. We provide a framework that places action as the driver of spatial communication systems across languages, in which spatial demonstratives - the earliest spatial terms - play a fundamental role in honing attention and theory of mind capacities that are crucial for language and cognition more broadly. We discuss how demonstratives emerged early in language evolution to serve a combination of spatial, social, and functional needs.</p>","PeriodicalId":49417,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Cognitive Sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":16.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Trends in Cognitive Sciences","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2024.10.002","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Spatial cognition is fundamental to our species. One might therefore expect that spatial communication systems would have evolved to make common distinctions. However, many have argued that spatial communication systems exhibit considerable cross-linguistic diversity, challenging the view that space structures language. We review recent work on spatial communication that merits revisiting the relationship between language and space. We provide a framework that places action as the driver of spatial communication systems across languages, in which spatial demonstratives - the earliest spatial terms - play a fundamental role in honing attention and theory of mind capacities that are crucial for language and cognition more broadly. We discuss how demonstratives emerged early in language evolution to serve a combination of spatial, social, and functional needs.
期刊介绍:
Essential reading for those working directly in the cognitive sciences or in related specialist areas, Trends in Cognitive Sciences provides an instant overview of current thinking for scientists, students and teachers who want to keep up with the latest developments in the cognitive sciences. The journal brings together research in psychology, artificial intelligence, linguistics, philosophy, computer science and neuroscience. Trends in Cognitive Sciences provides a platform for the interaction of these disciplines and the evolution of cognitive science as an independent field of study.