Joint Attention and Intersubjectivity: Developments in Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Cognitive Science, and Philosophy of Mind

Bentley University, Waltham MA

Investigators

Abstract

Imagine two people on a park bench looking at a swan in the pond. Both people are aware that in some way, they are attending to the swan together. This conference explores the nature of the 'jointness' of such episodes of attention. The conference features presentations by developmental and comparative psychologists, cognitive scientists, and philosophers of the mind. The capacity for joint attention develops towards the end of the first year of life in humans and is present in non-human primates as well. Joint attention and its development is thought to play a crucial role with regard to a variety of issues, such as concept acquisition, empathy, social interaction, and the concept of self. Understanding joint attention and its development is also of relevance for the study of autism.