Cognitive change without linguistic change: The rise of egocentric frames of reference in the Hai||om

Human cultures differ in how they think about space: some primarily use egocentric frames of reference, thinking about space in relation to the body, while others privilege geocentric frames, thinking about space in relation to the environment. The origins of this cognitive diversity remain largely unknown. Here, we provide evidence suggesting an ongoing shift in spatial thinking—but not language—within a culture, providing insight into the origins of this cognitive diversity. Hai||om people, a rural forager community in Namibia, have traditionally privileged geocentric frames of reference in cognition and language. Comparing new data to historical data from the same community, we found that contemporary Hai||om show a greater preference for egocentric frames of reference compared to previous reports, suggesting an egocentric shift in their cognition. Surprisingly, we document no such shift in their language, showing that Whorfian views are insufficient on their own to explain cognitive diversity in spatial frames of reference. We discuss material culture, rather than language, as a key driver of diversity in spatial thought.