Does Language Shape the Production and Perception of Gestures?

Y. Gu, L. Mol, M.W. Hoetjes, M.G.J. Swerts

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionScientificpeer-review

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    Abstract

    Does language influence the production and perception of gestures? The metaphorical use of language in representing time is deeply interlinked with actions in space, such as gestures. In Chinese, speakers can talk and gesture about time as if it were horizontal, sagittal, or vertical. In English, speakers rarely employ the vertical plane. Two experiments showed that the verbal use of vertical spatial metaphors had an online influence on the production and perception of gestures by late Chinese-English bilinguals. Participants produced more vertical gestures when talking about time references by use of vertical spatial metaphors, e.g. ‘shàng-zhōu’ (literally: ‘above week’, meaning ‘last week’), and they preferred vertical gestures to horizontal gestures when perceiving time references with vertical spatial metaphors. Gestures are not only shaped by the language specific conceptualisation, but are also sensitive to the changes in linguistic choices, both in production and perception.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationProceedings of the 36th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society
    EditorsP. Bello, M. Guarini, M. McShane, B. Scassellati
    PublisherAustin, TX: Cognitive Science Society
    Pages547-552
    Number of pages6
    Publication statusPublished - 2014
    EventCogSci 2014 - Québec City, Canada
    Duration: 23 Jul 201426 Jul 2014

    Conference

    ConferenceCogSci 2014
    Country/TerritoryCanada
    CityQuébec City
    Period23/07/1426/07/14

    Keywords

    • Gesture
    • Space
    • Time
    • Metaphor
    • Chinese

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