Individual differences in frequency and saliency of speech-accompanying gestures: The role of cognitive abilities and empathy.

Abstract

The present study concerns individual differences in gesture production. We used correlational and multiple regression analyses to examine the relationship between individuals’ cognitive abilities and empathy levels and their gesture frequency and saliency. We chose predictor variables according to experimental evidence of the functions of gesture in speech production and communication. We examined 3 types of gestures: representational gestures, conduit gestures, and palm-revealing gestures. Higher frequency of representational gestures was related to poorer visual and spatial working memory, spatial transformation ability, and conceptualization ability; higher frequency of conduit gestures was related to poorer visual working memory, conceptualization ability, and higher levels of empathy; and higher frequency of palm-revealing gestures was related to higher levels of empathy. The saliency of all gestures was positively related to level of empathy. These results demonstrate that cognitive abilities and empathy levels are related to individual differences in gesture frequency and saliency.

Co-thought gesturing supports more complex problem solving in subjects with lower visual working-memory capacity

“…This idea aligns with a number of findings on co-speech gestures (see Pouw et al, 2014 for a review). Speakers who have a lower as opposed to higher visual working-memory capacity are more likely to use gestures when they talk (Chu, Meyer, Foulkes, & Kita, 2013). When speakers are confronted with complex compared to visually distracting information when telling a story they are more likely to gesture (Smithson & Nicoladis, 2014).…”

“…Visual working-memory capacity was measured with an adapted version of the Visual Pattern Test (original VPT; Della Sala, Gray, Baddeley, & Wilson, 1997; adapted VPT; developed and kindly provided to us by Chu et al, 2013). Participants were shown a matrix, in various patterns, wherein half of the cells (i.e., squares of 15 mm × 15 mm) were colored black.…”

“…Spatial working-memory capacity was measured with the Corsi block task (CBT; Corsi, 1972), as used by Chu et al, (2013). The task consisted of four blocks, each containing of five trials.…”

Co‐thought gestures in children's mental problem solving: Prevalence and effects on subsequent performance

“…We used a similar procedure to control for extreme outliers as used by Chu, Meyer, Foulkes, and Kita (2014). For each independent and dependent variable included in the regression analysis (VPT, TOH3, and TOH4 solving speed and TOH3 and TOH4 number of solving steps), any value laying 3 standard deviations under (or above) the mean will be set to exactly 3SD under (or above) the mean.…”

Gesturing during mental problem solving reduces eye movements, especially for individuals with lower visual working memory capacity

“…We used an adapted version of the VPT (as adapted from and kindly provided by Chu, Meyer, Foulkes, & Kita, 2013). Participants were shown a matrix, in various patterns, wherein half of the cells (i.e., squares of 14 cm × 14 cm) were colored black.…”