Oh, I'd never thought about the social referencing aspect of that type of response from a toddler! I knew it existed but never thought about why. It makes perfect sense.
It is amazing to me that there are so many holdovers from our cave-dwelling days and we don't even recognize it. For instance, I would think that the rampant consumerism that pervades society is likely just the modern day equivalent of the need to hunt and gather. It used to be that he/she who had the most resources survived. Now, it just leads to closets and basements crammed with stuff we don't need, debt, and a degradation of the planet. Sigh.
