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Article published In: Gesture
Vol. 23:3 (2024) ► pp.259–285

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Charting the development of pointing

A longitudinal study on social and non-social index finger use

ORCiD logo with link | Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
 | University of Education Weingarten
 | Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Published online: 28 October 2025
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/gest.25008.kar
Abstract
Relational developmental systems (RDS) approaches to communicative development trace the origins of (social) pointing back to early instances of non-social index finger use. So far, no empirical longitudinal examination of this proposal exists. This paper reports on a longitudinal analysis of non-social index finger use and pointing from 6 to 16 months (n = 114) based on a parent questionnaire. We investigated early motor abilities, cognitive abilities, caregiver sensitivity and non-intrusiveness as potential predictors of pointing. Non-social index finger use and pointing increased from 6 to 16 months. Non-social index finger use was longitudinally related to pointing. Pointing was more likely to be reported with increasing age, and when non-social index finger use was present. Early cognitive, but not motor abilities moderated this relationship. Sensitivity and non-intrusiveness were not related to pointing. This longitudinal study provides empirical support for the theoretical proposal that pointing emerges from non-social index finger use.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Psychological factors supporting pointing development
    • Sensorimotor development
    • Interaction quality
    • Current study
  • Methods
    • Sample
    • Procedure and measures
    • Pointing questionnaire (6 to 16 months)
    • Mother–infant interaction quality (6 months)
    • Early motor development (6 months)
    • Cognitive abilities (6 months)
    • Data preprocessing
      • Missing data
      • Imputation of missing data
    • Analysis steps
  • Results
    • Descriptive statistics
    • Correlations
    • Inferential analyses
      • H1: Frequency of non-social index finger use and social pointing over time
      • H2: Developmental relationship of social pointing and non-social index finger use
      • H3: Relationship of sensorimotor abilities to the emergence of non-social index finger use and social pointing
  • Discussion
    • Developmental growth of non-social index finger use and pointing
    • Early interrelations of non-social index finger use and social pointing
      • Early interrelations of non-social index finger use and social pointing development
      • Relationship between interaction quality and early social pointing development
    • Factors related to the emergence of social pointing and non-social index finger use
    • Limitations, future directions, and conclusion
  • References
References (59)
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