Expressives, directives and assertions: Cognitive dimensions of speech acts

Despite the considerable amount of research devoted to speech act theory, relatively little attention has been paid to the cognitive foundations underlying different speech act classes. This article addresses this gap by introducing a framework of cognitive dimensions associated with the performance of expressives, directives and assertions. Drawing on empirical data, we argue that each class requires distinct cognitive capacities related to acquisition, intention-involvement, intersubjectivity, involvement, detachment, cooperation and natural meaning. In addition, we propose a set of pragmatic criteria that can be used to structure rudimentary instances of speech acts in both primates and human infants. • A framework for investigating cognitive dimensions of speech acts is proposed. • Expressives, directives and assertions require distinct minimal cognitive capacities. • Pragmatic criteria are suggested for classifying basic cases of speech acts. • Primate communication is divided into expressives, directives and assertions.