Communication is an effective and rich tool to transmit information to others. Different models of communication, though, disagree on how beliefs are acquired via testimony. While the Intentional-Inferential Model conceives communication as a matter of expressing, recognizing and evaluating intentions, the Direct Perception Model views communication as a means for direct belief transfer. What kind of experimental data can be brought to bear on this debate? We argue that developmental research can provide relevant insights for advancing the present debate. Drawing on recent experimental findings on the ontogeny of vigilance and trust, we question the idea that communication involves direct belief transfer and illustrate how children's reliance on communication is the result of smart processes of trust calibration.

沟通是向他人传递信息的有效而丰富的工具。然而，不同的沟通模式对于如何通过证词获得信念存在分歧。意向推理模型将沟通视为表达、识别和评估意图的问题，而直接感知模型则将沟通视为直接信念转移的手段。什么样的实验数据可以对这场争论产生影响？我们认为发展研究可以为推进当前的辩论提供相关见解。利用最近关于警惕和信任的本体发生的实验结果，我们质疑沟通涉及直接信念转移的观点，并说明儿童对沟通的依赖如何是信任校准的智能过程的结果。