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

Leuphana University of Lüneburg
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Budongo Conservation Field Station
The University of Auckland
Université Marien Ngouabi
Stanford University
Koc University
University of Manchester
University of Namibia
University of York
CAS - Institute of Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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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.

Original language	English
Article number	aacaf017
Pages (from-to)	219-232
Number of pages	14
Journal	Child Development
Volume	97
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/chidev/aacaf017
Publication status	Published - 23 Jan 2026

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health
Education
Developmental and Educational Psychology

Keywords

computational modeling
cross-cultural development
gaze following
individual differences
social cognition
Child Development/physiology
Fixation, Ocular/physiology
Humans
Child, Preschool
Male
Social Interaction
Cross-Cultural Comparison
Social Perception
Individuality
Female
Social Cognition
Child

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10.1093/chidev/aacaf017

aacaf017Final published version, 8.79 MBLicence: CC BY

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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. Article aacaf017. https://doi.org/10.1093/chidev/aacaf017

@article{94afa8701e144b99a98b7afb8f63ac14,

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, Child Development/physiology, Fixation, Ocular/physiology, Humans, Child, Preschool, Male, Social Interaction, Cross-Cultural Comparison, Social Perception, Individuality, Female, Social Cognition, Child",

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.",

year = "2026",

month = jan,

day = "23",

doi = "10.1093/chidev/aacaf017",

language = "English",

volume = "97",

pages = "219--232",

journal = "Child Development",

issn = "0009-3920",

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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, vol. 97, no. 1, aacaf017, pp. 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.

PY - 2026/1/23

Y1 - 2026/1/23

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 - Child Development/physiology

KW - Fixation, Ocular/physiology

KW - Humans

KW - Child, Preschool

KW - Male

KW - Social Interaction

KW - Cross-Cultural Comparison

KW - Social Perception

KW - Individuality

KW - Female

KW - Social Cognition

KW - Child

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

UR - https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/psy-research/1241/

U2 - 10.1093/chidev/aacaf017

DO - 10.1093/chidev/aacaf017

M3 - Article

C2 - 41575279

AN - SCOPUS:105031631199

SN - 0009-3920

VL - 97

SP - 219

EP - 232

JO - Child Development

JF - Child Development

IS - 1

M1 - aacaf017

ER -

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

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ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

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