A universal of human social cognition: Children from 17 communities process gaze in similar ways

Manuel Bohn; Julia Christin Prein; Agnes Ayikoru; Florian M. Bednarski; Ardain Dzabatou; Michael C. Frank; Annette M.E. Henderson; Joan Isabella; Josefine Kalbitz; Patricia Kanngiesser; Dilara Keşşafoğlu; Bahar Köymen; Maira V. Manrique-Hernandez; Shirley Magazi; Lizbeth Mújica-Manrique; Julia Ohlendorf; Damilola Olaoba; Wesley R. Pieters; Sarah Pope-Caldwell; Katie Slocombe; Robert Z. Sparks; Jahnavi Sunderarajan; Wilson Vieira; Zhen Zhang; Yufei Zong; Roman Stengelin; Daniel B.M. Haun

doi:10.1093/chidev/aacaf017

A universal of human social cognition: Children from 17 communities process gaze in similar ways

Manuel Bohn
, Julia Christin Prein
, Agnes Ayikoru
, Florian M. Bednarski
, Ardain Dzabatou
, Michael C. Frank
, Annette M.E. Henderson
, Joan Isabella
, Josefine Kalbitz
, Patricia Kanngiesser
, Dilara Keşşafoğlu
, Bahar Köymen
, Maira V. Manrique-Hernandez
, Shirley Magazi
, Lizbeth Mújica-Manrique
, Julia Ohlendorf
, Damilola Olaoba
, Wesley R. Pieters
, Sarah Pope-Caldwell
, Katie Slocombe

Robert Z. Sparks, Jahnavi Sunderarajan, Wilson Vieira, Zhen Zhang, Yufei Zong, Roman Stengelin, Daniel B.M. Haun

Publikation: Beiträge in Zeitschriften › Zeitschriftenaufsätze › Forschung › Begutachtung

1 Zitat (Scopus)

Abstract

Theoretical accounts typically assume that key features of human socio-cognitive development are universal. This paper reports a large-scale cross-cultural study (17 communities, diverse ethnicities, N = 1,377, 709 female, mean = 5.50 years, -collected March 2022 to January 2024) on gaze following in early childhood. To test for universality, cognitive processing signatures were derived from a computational model treating gaze following as social vector estimation. Results showed substantial variation between communities and individuals. Yet, the processing signature was found in all communities. Individual differences in performance were related to children's familiarity with the data-collection device but not opportunities for social interaction. These results provide strong evidence for gaze following as a universal socio-cognitive process despite cultural and individual-level variation in absolute performance.

Originalsprache	Englisch
Zeitschrift	Child Development
Jahrgang	97
Ausgabenummer	1
Seiten (von - bis)	219-232
Seitenumfang	14
ISSN	0009-3920
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/chidev/aacaf017
Publikationsstatus	Erschienen - 01.2026

Bibliographische Notiz

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2026. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research in Child Development. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

UN SDGs

Dieser Output leistet einen Beitrag zu folgendem(n) Ziel(en) für nachhaltige Entwicklung

SDG 10 – Weniger Ungleichheiten

Fachgebiete und Schlagwörter

Psychologie

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Pädiatrie, Perinatalogie und Gesundheitsvorsorge bei Kindern
Ausbildung bzw. Denomination
Pädagogische und Entwicklungspsychologie

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Bohn, M., Prein, J. C., Ayikoru, A., Bednarski, F. M., Dzabatou, A., Frank, M. C., Henderson, A. M. E., Isabella, J., Kalbitz, J., Kanngiesser, P., Keşşafoğlu, D., Köymen, B., Manrique-Hernandez, M. V., Magazi, S., Mújica-Manrique, L., Ohlendorf, J., Olaoba, D., Pieters, W. R., Pope-Caldwell, S., ... Haun, D. B. M. (2026). A universal of human social cognition: Children from 17 communities process gaze in similar ways. Child Development, 97(1), 219-232. https://doi.org/10.1093/chidev/aacaf017

@article{17dec3df153a44b1b4bdb12cb1416207,

title = "A universal of human social cognition: Children from 17 communities process gaze in similar ways",

abstract = "Theoretical accounts typically assume that key features of human socio-cognitive development are universal. This paper reports a large-scale cross-cultural study (17 communities, diverse ethnicities, N = 1,377, 709 female, mean = 5.50 years, -collected March 2022 to January 2024) on gaze following in early childhood. To test for universality, cognitive processing signatures were derived from a computational model treating gaze following as social vector estimation. Results showed substantial variation between communities and individuals. Yet, the processing signature was found in all communities. Individual differences in performance were related to children's familiarity with the data-collection device but not opportunities for social interaction. These results provide strong evidence for gaze following as a universal socio-cognitive process despite cultural and individual-level variation in absolute performance.",

keywords = "computational modeling, cross-cultural development, gaze following, individual differences, social cognition, Psychology",

author = "Manuel Bohn and Prein, \{Julia Christin\} and Agnes Ayikoru and Bednarski, \{Florian M.\} and Ardain Dzabatou and Frank, \{Michael C.\} and Henderson, \{Annette M.E.\} and Joan Isabella and Josefine Kalbitz and Patricia Kanngiesser and Dilara Ke{\c s}{\c s}afoğlu and Bahar K{\"o}ymen and Manrique-Hernandez, \{Maira V.\} and Shirley Magazi and Lizbeth M{\'u}jica-Manrique and Julia Ohlendorf and Damilola Olaoba and Pieters, \{Wesley R.\} and Sarah Pope-Caldwell and Katie Slocombe and Sparks, \{Robert Z.\} and Jahnavi Sunderarajan and Wilson Vieira and Zhen Zhang and Yufei Zong and Roman Stengelin and Haun, \{Daniel B.M.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2026. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research in Child Development. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.",

year = "2026",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1093/chidev/aacaf017",

language = "English",

volume = "97",

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Bohn, M , Prein, JC, Ayikoru, A, Bednarski, FM, Dzabatou, A, Frank, MC, Henderson, AME, Isabella, J, Kalbitz, J, Kanngiesser, P, Keşşafoğlu, D, Köymen, B, Manrique-Hernandez, MV, Magazi, S, Mújica-Manrique, L, Ohlendorf, J, Olaoba, D, Pieters, WR, Pope-Caldwell, S, Slocombe, K, Sparks, RZ, Sunderarajan, J, Vieira, W, Zhang, Z, Zong, Y, Stengelin, R & Haun, DBM 2026, 'A universal of human social cognition: Children from 17 communities process gaze in similar ways', Child Development, Jg. 97, Nr. 1, S. 219-232. https://doi.org/10.1093/chidev/aacaf017

TY - JOUR

T1 - A universal of human social cognition

T2 - Children from 17 communities process gaze in similar ways

AU - Bohn, Manuel

AU - Prein, Julia Christin

AU - Ayikoru, Agnes

AU - Bednarski, Florian M.

AU - Dzabatou, Ardain

AU - Frank, Michael C.

AU - Henderson, Annette M.E.

AU - Isabella, Joan

AU - Kalbitz, Josefine

AU - Kanngiesser, Patricia

AU - Keşşafoğlu, Dilara

AU - Köymen, Bahar

AU - Manrique-Hernandez, Maira V.

AU - Magazi, Shirley

AU - Mújica-Manrique, Lizbeth

AU - Ohlendorf, Julia

AU - Olaoba, Damilola

AU - Pieters, Wesley R.

AU - Pope-Caldwell, Sarah

AU - Slocombe, Katie

AU - Sparks, Robert Z.

AU - Sunderarajan, Jahnavi

AU - Vieira, Wilson

AU - Zhang, Zhen

AU - Zong, Yufei

AU - Stengelin, Roman

AU - Haun, Daniel B.M.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2026. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research in Child Development. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

PY - 2026/1

Y1 - 2026/1

N2 - Theoretical accounts typically assume that key features of human socio-cognitive development are universal. This paper reports a large-scale cross-cultural study (17 communities, diverse ethnicities, N = 1,377, 709 female, mean = 5.50 years, -collected March 2022 to January 2024) on gaze following in early childhood. To test for universality, cognitive processing signatures were derived from a computational model treating gaze following as social vector estimation. Results showed substantial variation between communities and individuals. Yet, the processing signature was found in all communities. Individual differences in performance were related to children's familiarity with the data-collection device but not opportunities for social interaction. These results provide strong evidence for gaze following as a universal socio-cognitive process despite cultural and individual-level variation in absolute performance.

AB - Theoretical accounts typically assume that key features of human socio-cognitive development are universal. This paper reports a large-scale cross-cultural study (17 communities, diverse ethnicities, N = 1,377, 709 female, mean = 5.50 years, -collected March 2022 to January 2024) on gaze following in early childhood. To test for universality, cognitive processing signatures were derived from a computational model treating gaze following as social vector estimation. Results showed substantial variation between communities and individuals. Yet, the processing signature was found in all communities. Individual differences in performance were related to children's familiarity with the data-collection device but not opportunities for social interaction. These results provide strong evidence for gaze following as a universal socio-cognitive process despite cultural and individual-level variation in absolute performance.

KW - computational modeling

KW - cross-cultural development

KW - gaze following

KW - individual differences

KW - social cognition

KW - Psychology

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105031631199

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DO - 10.1093/chidev/aacaf017

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 41575279

AN - SCOPUS:105031631199

SN - 0009-3920

VL - 97

SP - 219

EP - 232

JO - Child Development

JF - Child Development

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ER -

A universal of human social cognition: Children from 17 communities process gaze in similar ways

Abstract

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