The cognitive requirements for developing a multimodal communication system: Evidence from experimental semiotics and comparative cognition

Abstract

Specifying the cognitive requirements for developing a structured, symbolic communication system is crucial when considering what made humans language-ready and enabled them to create language. It is equally important to understand to which extent these requirements are shared with other animals and how they evolved. Experimental semiotics elucidates the processes and necessary requirements for the emergence of a symbolic communication system in interaction. We take an evolutionary perspective to find out what cognitive abilities are essential for successful communication, and to what extent these cognitive abilities are present in animals. By conducting a meta-analysis of existing studies and comparing cognitive abilities across species, we identify common factors like theory of mind and categorical perception and highlight the similarities and differences in these abilities between humans and animals. This innovative approach provides valuable insights into the cognitive underpinnings of symbolic communication system emergence, contributing to our understanding of language evolution.