Virtue signalling is a subset of signalling. Specifically, it is signalling of moral virtues.
Therefore, a bird signalling health and good genes is not virtue signalling (but it is signalling in general). Because health and good genes are usually not considered to be moral virtues.
I agree that virtue signalling is specific to moral virtues rather than signalling virtues-in-general such as good genes, and I made a mistake by suggesting otherwise. My objection was really the part you agree with later, that people use signalling to refer exclusively to signalling properties of the self (and also use it predominantly to refer to duplicitous or otherwise negative cases, rather than to the general thing). But I don’t know what word to give people for what they’re trying to mean. “Virtue signalling” was my attempt.
Too bad I don’t have a good suggestion for a way to improve the terminology.
I think Scott got this right, but you misunderstood it.
X is a signal of Y if seeing X makes Y more likely. In some cases, mere assertions do that, in some cases, they don’t.
I also agree that mere assertions of X don’t necessarily signal X. I neglected to mention that because it wasn’t my focus in that part of the essay.
I agree that virtue signalling is specific to moral virtues rather than signalling virtues-in-general such as good genes, and I made a mistake by suggesting otherwise. My objection was really the part you agree with later, that people use signalling to refer exclusively to signalling properties of the self (and also use it predominantly to refer to duplicitous or otherwise negative cases, rather than to the general thing). But I don’t know what word to give people for what they’re trying to mean. “Virtue signalling” was my attempt.
Too bad I don’t have a good suggestion for a way to improve the terminology.
I also agree that mere assertions of X don’t necessarily signal X. I neglected to mention that because it wasn’t my focus in that part of the essay.