Socioemotional factors in the development of joint attention in human and ape infants

In this chapter we consider the idea that apes and humans share certain types of learning processes due to their shared evolutionary history. These learning processes begin early in life, rely on intersubjective, socioemotional factors, and are the backdrop for cognitively interesting outcomes like communicative gestures and joint attention. Moreover, they are the basis for the flexibility and plasticity observed in the early development of humans and apes.