Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Gestures maintain spatial imagery.

R Wesp1, J Hesse, D Keutmann

  • 1Department of Psychology, East Stroudsburg University, 200 Prospect Street, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301, USA. rkwesp@po-box.esu.edu

The American Journal of Psychology
|January 16, 2002
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Disturbed glutathione antioxidative defense is associated with structural brain changes in neuroleptic-naïve first-episode psychosis patients.

Prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and essential fatty acids·2017
Same author

Erythrocyte glutathione levels as long-term predictor of transition to psychosis.

Translational psychiatry·2017
Same author

The growing number of hemophilia registries: Quantity vs. quality.

Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics·2015
Same author

[New data from the German Haemophilia Registry].

Hamostaseologie·2013
Same author

[Report on notifications pursuant to §21 German Transfusion Act for 2010 and 2011].

Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz·2013
Same author

[Documentation of haemophilia treatment supported by the German Hemophilia Registry].

Hamostaseologie·2010
Same journal

Attributing social meaning to animated shapes: A new experimental study of apparent behavior.

The American journal of psychology·2021
Same journal

Scientific Study of Magic: Binet's Pioneering Approach Based on Observations and Chronophotography.

The American journal of psychology·2018
Same journal

Child and Ancient Man: How to Define Their Commonalities and Differences.

The American journal of psychology·2018
Same journal

Adolescent Aggression as Predicted from Parent-Child Relationships and Executive Functions.

The American journal of psychology·2018
Same journal

The Effect of Collective Transitions on the Organization and Contents of Autobiographical Memory: A Transition Theory Perspective.

The American journal of psychology·2018
Same journal

The Development and Validity of a Chinese Version of the Compound Remote Associates Test.

The American journal of psychology·2018
See all related articles

Gestures may help people recall information by supporting cognitive processes, rather than just communicating with others. This study suggests gestures aid short-term memory during speech production.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Linguistics
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Traditionally, gestures were viewed primarily as communicative tools for listeners.
  • Emerging theories propose gestures may also serve cognitive functions for the speaker.
  • The role of gestures in lexical search and memory retrieval is under investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the cognitive function of gestures in speakers.
  • To determine if gestures aid in lexical access and short-term memory.
  • To explore the relationship between visual stimulation, spatial imagery, and gesturing.

Main Methods:

  • Participants described a picture either from memory or with the picture present.
  • Gesturing frequency was recorded under these two conditions.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Listener eye contact was manipulated to isolate the communicative function of gestures.

    • Main Results:

    • Participants gestured more frequently when describing the picture from memory.
    • Gesture frequency was not affected by listener eye contact.
    • Reduced gesturing was observed when direct visual stimulation was available.

    Conclusions:

    • Gestures appear to support cognitive processes, specifically aiding short-term memory during lexical search.
    • Spatial imagery, facilitated by gestures, may be crucial for memory recall when visual cues are absent.
    • The findings challenge the exclusive view of gestures as direct communication, highlighting their role in internal cognitive mechanisms.