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If you presume relevance, you don't need a bifocal lens

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 November 2022

Nazlı Altınok
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany altinok.nazli@gmail.com
Denis Tatone
Affiliation:
Department of Cognitive Science, Central European University, 1100 Vienna, Austria denis.tatone@gmail.com HeintzC@ceu.edu GergelyGy@ceu.edu
Ildikó Király
Affiliation:
Department of Cognitive Science, Central European University, 1100 Vienna, Austria denis.tatone@gmail.com HeintzC@ceu.edu GergelyGy@ceu.edu MTA-ELTE Social Minds Research Group, Eötvös Loránd University, 1064 Budapest, Hungary kiraly.ildiko@ppk.elte.hu
Christophe Heintz
Affiliation:
Department of Cognitive Science, Central European University, 1100 Vienna, Austria denis.tatone@gmail.com HeintzC@ceu.edu GergelyGy@ceu.edu
György Gergely
Affiliation:
Department of Cognitive Science, Central European University, 1100 Vienna, Austria denis.tatone@gmail.com HeintzC@ceu.edu GergelyGy@ceu.edu

Abstract

We argue for a relevance-guided learning mechanism to account for both innovative reproduction and faithful imitation by focusing on the role of communication in knowledge transmission. Unlike bifocal stance theory, this mechanism does not require a strict divide between instrumental and ritual-like actions, and the goals they respectively fulfill (material vs. social/affiliative), to account for flexibility in action interpretation and reproduction.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

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