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Can object affordances impact on human social learning of tool use?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 June 2012

Pierre O. Jacquet ,
Alessia Tessari ,
Ferdinand Binkofski  and
Anna M. Borghi
Pierre O. Jacquet
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Bologna University, 40127 Bologna, Italy. pierre.jacquet3@unibo.ithttp://www.emco.unibo.it/index.htmalessia.tessari@unibo.ithttp://www.emco.unibo.it/index.htm INSERM U1028; CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, ImpAct Team, 69500 Bron, France University Lyon1, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
Alessia Tessari
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Bologna University, 40127 Bologna, Italy. pierre.jacquet3@unibo.ithttp://www.emco.unibo.it/index.htmalessia.tessari@unibo.ithttp://www.emco.unibo.it/index.htm
Ferdinand Binkofski
Affiliation:
Section for Neurological Cognition Research, RWTH Aachen University, 52056 Aachen, Germany. fbinkofski@ukaachen.dehttp://www.rossiproject.eu/
Anna M. Borghi
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Bologna University, 40127 Bologna, Italy. pierre.jacquet3@unibo.ithttp://www.emco.unibo.it/index.htmalessia.tessari@unibo.ithttp://www.emco.unibo.it/index.htm Institute of Sciences and Technologies of Cognition, National Research Council, 00185 Rome, Italy. annamaria.borghi@unibo.ithttp://laral.istc.cnr.it/borghi/
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Abstract

The author describes “higher” and “uniquely human” sociocognitive skills that he argues as being necessary for tool use. We propose that those skills could be based on simpler detection systems humans could share with other animal tool users. More specifically, we discuss the impact of object affordances on the understanding and the social learning of tool use.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 35 , Issue 4 , August 2012 , pp. 227 - 228
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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