The role of objects in vocal communication and knowledge transfer in children

人类经常依靠物体来帮助他们交流。但是，尽管我们对人类社会交流有着广泛的了解，并且在基本的和复杂的交流形式中使用物体所带来的优势，物体交互仍然是一个知之甚少的话题。在这项工作中，我开发了一个模型来解释客体使用作为人类社会交流的一部分的双重优势功能，即促进和增强人类非语言语音交流和言语（促进-增强客体交互模型）。这个博士项目的目的是研究儿童在自然社会环境中与物体的交流，并测试促进-增强物体互动模型。首先，将编写一个描述性分类法来评估英国和赞比亚儿童之间的对象相互作用。其次，对不同年龄的英国儿童进行比较，测试他们在促进-增强对象互动和语言方面的预期发展变化。第三，将在英国儿童中测试物体的知识转移。这项研究可能会对人类物体使用、声音交流和信息获取的多模态发展提供重要的见解。

Humans often rely on objects to aid their communication. But despite our extensive knowledge of human social communication and the advantages that arguably come with using objects in rudimentary as well as complex forms of communication, object interactions still remain a poorly understood topic. For this work, I have developed a model that explains binary advantageous functions of object use as part of human social communication, i.e., to facilitate as well as enhance human nonverbal vocal communication and speech (facilitate-enhance object interaction model). The aim of this proposed PhD project is to examine communication with objects in children within natural social settings and to test the facilitate-enhance object interaction model. First, a descriptive taxonomy will be composed to assess object interactions between UK and Zambian children. Second, UK children of different ages will be compared to test for expected developmental changes in relation to the facilitate-enhance object interactions and language. Third, knowledge transfer of objects will be tested in UK children. The proposed study is likely to provide important insight on the multimodal development of object use, vocal communication and information acquisition in humans.