Post-natal dependency as the foundation of social learning in humans

Humans have developed a sophisticated system of cultural transmission that allows for complex,non-genetically specified behaviours to be passed on from one generation to the next. Thissystem relies on understanding others as social and communicative partners. Some theoreticalaccounts argue for the existence of domain-specific cognitive adaptations that prioritise socialinformation, while others suggest that social learning is itself a product of cumulative culturalevolution based on domain-general learning mechanisms. The current paper explores thecontribution of humans’ unique ontogenetic environment to the emergence of social learning ininfancy. It suggests that the prolonged period of post-natal dependency experienced by humaninfants contributes to the development of social learning. Because of motor limitations, infantslearn to interact with and act through caregivers, establishing social learning abilities skills thatcontinue to develop as children become less dependent. According to this percpective, at leastsome key aspects of social development can be attributed to a developmental trajectory guidedby infants’ early motor development that radically alters how they experience the world.