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Why Gesture?: How the hands function in speaking, thinking and communicating
Edited by Ruth Breckinridge Church, Martha W. Alibali and Spencer D. Kelly
[Gesture Studies 7] 2017
► pp. 155–174

Chapter 7
Gestures highlight perceptual-motor representations in thinking

Gestures are adept at expressing perceptual and motor information. In this chapter, we propose that, as representational actions, gestures both stem from and influence perceptual representations, in much the same way that action and perception more generally exist in an inextricable relationship. We review evidence that gestures emerge from perceptual-motor representations that are activated during thinking and speaking (Hostetter & Alibali, 2008). We then consider how gesture’s connection to perceptual-motor representations may play a functional role in strengthening those representations in the minds of speakers.

Article outline
  • Gestures highlight perceptual-motor representations in thinking
  • Gestures arise from perceptual-motor representations
  • Gestures strengthen perceptual-motor representations
  • Why gesture?
  • References
Published online: 26 April 2017
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/gs.7.08hos
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Cited by

Cited by 4 other publications

Hostetter, Autumn B. & Martha W. Alibali
2019. Gesture as simulated action: Revisiting the framework. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 26:3 ► pp. 721 ff. DOI logo
Pouw, Wim & James A. Dixon
2019. Entrainment and Modulation of Gesture–Speech Synchrony Under Delayed Auditory Feedback. Cognitive Science 43:3 DOI logo
Pouw, Wim, Stephanie I. Wassenburg, Autumn B. Hostetter, Bjorn B. de Koning & Fred Paas
2020. Does gesture strengthen sensorimotor knowledge of objects? The case of the size-weight illusion. Psychological Research 84:4 ► pp. 966 ff. DOI logo
Wassenburg, Stephanie I., Björn B. de Koning & Menno van der Schoot
2018. In which direction to move? Facilitative and interference effects of gestures on problem solver's thinking. Journal of Cognitive Psychology 30:3 ► pp. 307 ff. DOI logo

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