Which mindreading for ostensive communication? An eventrelated potentials study of how the brain processes communicative and informative intentions

According to the ostensive-inferential model, human communication is characterized by two different type(s) of intentions: communicative intention (CI) and informative intention (II). In its classical formulation, the dual level of intentions that characterizes ostensive communication (OC) is considered an exclusive prerogative of adult humans. In recent years, a deflationary perspective on OC has emerged, challenging the prevailing classical view that OC is an all-or-nothing phenomenon. This new approach suggests that basic forms of OC can be observed in both human infants and non-human primates. A pivotal aspect of the ongoing debate focuses on the nature of the mindreading process underlying OC. Classical perspectives posit the hypothesis of high-level inferential mindreading for both CI and II processing. Conversely, deflationary perspectives associate basic forms of mindreading with basic forms of OC. We aim to contribute to this debate presenting an exploratory event-related potentials (ERP) study on the time course of processing communicative and informative intentions expressed through a combination of eye contact and gestures. Three primary findings emerged from the analysis of the ERPs, relating to the amplitude of two early components, i.e., P100 and N170, and one later component, i.e., LC1 (600–800 ms). Overall, the findings suggest sensitivity to cues specifying addressee alignment (CI) and informational content (II) within the 200-ms window, favoring conceptions of ostensive processing grounded in early perceptual sensitivity to communicative structure, pointing to basic forms of mindreading in OC. We address the empirical and theoretical implications of these findings within the context of a deflationary perspective on OC.