Evolutional origins of language explored through cross-modal correspondences

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K12730
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 90030:Cognitive science-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Adachi Ikuma 京都大学, 霊長類研究所, 准教授 (80543214)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 感覚間一致 / 感覚統合 / 言語進化 / 比較認知科学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

I have explored cross-modal correspondences in chimpnazees. Spcifically, in this project, I have explored crossmodal correspondences between "luminance and sound pitch", "color and time", "order and space", "age and space", and "time and space". So far, we have found that chimpanzees also experience correspondences between "luminance and sound pitch" and " order and spce",　we did not find any evidence that chimpanzees experience the others. This means, correspondences which include time compornent may not be perceived in chimpanzees and thus uniquely in human. We human may develop such correspondences after we acquire language, which allow us to mentally represent "time" more efficiently.

Free Research Field

比較認知科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

1930 年代以来、類人猿の言語訓練を皮切りに、数多くの実験が動物の言語に関連する能力を調べてきた。本研究では、新たにラベル生成・理解、概念メタファーの進化的基盤として感覚間一致に着目し、比較認知科学的なアプローチをおこなった。こうした、新たなアプローチを施すことにより、感覚間一致に関して、ヒトとチンパンジーをはじめとするその他の種の間の相違点をあきらかにすることで、ヒトの言語の進化的基盤に対し、新たな知見を提供でき、認知科学、進化心理学、比較認知科学の研究分野に大きなインパクトを与えると期待される。