By: Jaime Herndon

We’ve all seen our nieces and nephews concentrate hard on something, often while sticking out their tongues. Many of us did it as kids too, and maybe still do. While it is adorable when our nieces and nephews do it, it actually has a real purpose. Finally, there is a scientific reason as to why children stick out there tongues while concentrating hard!

A new study published in the journal Cognition found that children sticking out their tongue as they focus on a task might stem from the idea that language evolved from gestures. The study showed that children tend to stick their tongues out most during tasks that involve communication, not fine-motor tasks.

Christian Jarrett explains in a review of the study in BPS Research Digest, that this makes sense, since the task in the study linked with communication “involve[s] rapid turn-taking, hand gesturing and structure rules—what you could think of as ‘the foundational components of a communication system’ or the rudiments of language.” What’s more, Jarrett offers that when children do stick out their tongues it’s most often to the right, signaling left-brain thinking. “The left side of the brain is the side that's more dominant for language in nearly all right-handers,” she states.

Next time a niece or nephew sticks out a tongue while concentrating, you can smile knowing that not only are they developing, they are darn cute, to boot. 

Photo: Corepics
Published: July 7, 2015