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Related Experiment Videos

Using our hands to change our minds.

Susan Goldin-Meadow1

  • 1Department of Psychology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.

Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Cognitive Science
|December 2, 2016
PubMed
Summary
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Spontaneous gestures during problem-solving explanations reveal and shape ideas. This embodied action, distinct from physical manipulation, aids learning and generalization of abstract concepts.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Science
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Linguistics

Background:

  • Jean Piaget's work focused on children's observable behaviors and task progression.
  • Spontaneous gestures in adult explanations have been largely overlooked.
  • Gestures are more than mere physical movements; they convey cognitive information.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine spontaneous gestures as a routine behavior in problem-solving explanations.
  • To investigate the role of gestures in reflecting and modifying speakers' ideas.
  • To explore how gestures promote learning and generalization of abstract concepts.

Main Methods:

  • Observational analysis of spontaneous gestures during problem-solving explanations.
  • Comparison of gestural content with verbal explanations.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Theoretical examination of gesture's function in learning and representation.

    • Main Results:

    • Gestures reflect underlying ideas, often unexpressed in speech.
    • Producing and observing gestures can alter a speaker's own ideas.
    • Gestures act as a unique form of action that promotes generalization.

    Conclusions:

    • Gesture is a powerful tool for learning, bridging action and representation.
    • The mechanisms of learning through gesture may differ from other actions.
    • Spontaneous gestures offer insights into cognitive processes and abstract idea acquisition.