Just How Joint Is Joint Action in Infancy?

Abstract

Joint action is central to countless aspects of human life. Here I examine the roots of joint action in infancy. First, I provide evidence that-contrary to popular belief-1-year-old infants do have the social-cognitive prerequisites needed to participate in joint action, even in a relatively strict sense: they can read others' goals and intentions, they have some basic understanding of common knowledge, and they have the ability and motivation to help others achieve their goals. Then I review some evidence of infants' and young children's active participation in different types of joint action, from prelinguistic communication to more instrumental collaborations with others, with a particular focus on whether young children show evidence of an understanding of the commitments and obligations entailed in joint action. I conclude that the uniquely human ability and motivation to participate in joint action is already seen in infants by 1 year of age. © 2009 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.