You’ve probably seen this image more than once: a little boy is concentrating on a complicated task and, without realizing it, he slightly sticks out his tongue. Why? Does this automatic gesture serve a purpose? Does it help him concentrate better?
A study conducted at the University of Westminster provides us with new clues. These psychologists have been studying the behaviour of 4-year-old children and have noticed that sticking out the tongue is much more than just a cute gesture.
Sticking out your tongue is not a mere gesture of concentration
These researchers recorded 14 4-year-old children as they performed different tasks at home. The tasks were designed to test different skills. For example, to test fine motor skills, they were asked to play with miniature dolls or open small locks with a key. To assess gross motor skills, they were involved in a game in which they had to knock on a door. Finally, there were also activities that did not involve motor control, such as having to remember a story.
The psychologists analyzed the videos to see what kind of activities the children tended to stick out their tongues during. They also noted which way they tended to move their tongues, to the right or left of their mouth.
First, they noticed that all children stuck out their tongues during the tasks, which confirms past research indicating that this is a common behavior that persists until about age 8. However, this gesture was more common in some tasks, especially those involving gross motor control.
This discovery was surprising since psychologists thought that this gesture would be more common in fine control tasks since these were more complicated and required a greater degree of concentration. So, if sticking out the tongue does not promote concentration, what is its function?
A reflex movement of language
Psychologists have found an alternative explanation, based on the evolution of language throughout human history. According to these researchers, the game of knocking involves quick decision-making, manual gestures and following structured rules – three elements that are at the base of the communication system and represent the rudiments of language.
Therefore, sticking out the tongue would be nothing more than a reflex action, which is activated in parallel with the areas linked to language.
This hypothesis is confirmed by the fact that the children almost always stuck their tongue out to the right, suggesting that there was predominant control of the left hemisphere, which is dominant in right-handed people and is closely linked to language.
In fact, neuroimaging studies indicate that there is a very close link between the brain regions related to language production and the areas that control hand and arm movements. It has been found that Broca’s area is activated not only when we speak or think but also when we perform imitative movements with our hands.
It is not surprising that such a connection exists since gestures and movements are an important part of communication and we use them continuously to reinforce our message, as well as to decode the intentions of others.
Therefore, activities that are accompanied by internal speech or that activate gestures linked to language also provoke a simultaneous and spontaneous movement of the tongue, although as we grow up, we learn to control this movement.
Reference:
Forrester, G., & Rodriguez, A. (2015) Slip of the tongue: Implications for evolution and language development. Cognition; 141: 103-111.
