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 Concept Videos

Random Error01:04

Random Error

799
Random or indeterminate errors originate from various uncontrollable variables, such as variations in environmental conditions, instrument imperfections, or the inherent variability of the phenomena being measured. Usually, these errors cannot be predicted, estimated, or characterized because their direction and magnitude often vary in magnitude and direction even during consecutive measurements. As a result, they are difficult to eliminate. However, the aggregate effect of these errors can be...
799
Randomized Experiments01:13

Randomized Experiments

6.7K
The randomization process involves assigning study participants randomly to experimental or control groups based on their probability of being equally assigned. Randomization is meant to eliminate selection bias and balance known and unknown confounding factors so that the control group is similar to the treatment group as much as possible. A computer program and a random number generator can be used to assign participants to groups in a way that minimizes bias.
Simple randomization
Simple...
6.7K
Random Sampling Method01:09

Random Sampling Method

11.0K
Sampling is a technique to select a portion (or subset) of the larger population and study that portion (the sample) to gain information about the population. Data are the result of sampling from a population. The sampling method ensures that samples are drawn without bias and accurately represent the population. Because measuring the entire population in a study is not practical, researchers use samples to represent the population of interest. Among the various sampling methods used by...
11.0K
Random Variables01:09

Random Variables

11.4K
A random variable is a single numerical value that indicates the outcome of a procedure. The concept of random variables is fundamental to the probability theory and was introduced by a Russian mathematician, Pafnuty Chebyshev, in the mid-nineteenth century.
Uppercase letters such as X or Y denote a random variable. Lowercase letters like x or y denote the value of a random variable. If X is a random variable, then X is written in words, and x is given as a number.
For example, let X = the...
11.4K
Wald-Wolfowitz Runs Test II01:17

Wald-Wolfowitz Runs Test II

172
The Wald-Wolfowitz runs test, commonly referred to as the runs test, is a nonparametric test used to assess the randomness of ordered data. The test evaluates the number of runs, which are consecutive sequences of similar elements within the data. If the number of runs is significantly higher or lower than expected, the data is considered non-random, indicating a detectable pattern or structure.
For binary data, runs are identified using symbols such as + and −, or equivalently, 1s and...
172
Group Design02:01

Group Design

8.9K
The most basic experimental design involves two groups: the experimental group and the control group. The two groups are designed to be the same except for one difference— experimental manipulation. The experimental group gets the experimental manipulation—that is, the treatment or variable being tested—and the control group does not. Since experimental manipulation is the only difference between the experimental and control groups, we can be sure that any differences between...
8.9K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Gender identity impacts the perception of vocal congruence.

Frontiers in cognition·2026
Same author

Variability and methodological choices in articulatory suppression tasks: a review.

Frontiers in psychology·2026
Same author

Object numerosity influence sensorimotor programs evoked by graspable object nouns.

Frontiers in psychology·2026
Same author

In search of meaning.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same author

Interoceptive grounding of conceptual knowledge: new insight from an interoceptive-exteroceptive categorization task of concepts.

Psychological research·2026
Same author

Abstractness and social interaction through a new lens: the potentialities of hyperscanning in naturalistic settings.

Frontiers in neuroscience·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 27, 2025

Capturing Dynamic Finger Gesturing with High-resolution Surface Electromyography and Computer Vision
08:15

Capturing Dynamic Finger Gesturing with High-resolution Surface Electromyography and Computer Vision

Published on: March 28, 2025

380

Open hands, large numbers: manual gestures influence random number generation.

Caterina Villani1, Glenn De Muynck2, Anna M Borghi3,4

  • 1Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, University of Bologna, Via Cartoleria 5, 40124, Bologna, Italy. caterina.villani6@unibo.it.

Psychological Research
|February 19, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Gestures influence number perception. Moving hands outwards correlated with larger numbers, while inwards movements correlated with smaller numbers, showing a subtle spatial-numerical association.

More Related Videos

One Dimensional Turing-Like Handshake Test for Motor Intelligence
14:05

One Dimensional Turing-Like Handshake Test for Motor Intelligence

Published on: December 15, 2010

26.7K
Author Spotlight: Deciphering the Cognitive and Neural Mechanisms of Gesture in Communication
07:18

Author Spotlight: Deciphering the Cognitive and Neural Mechanisms of Gesture in Communication

Published on: January 26, 2024

816

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 27, 2025

Capturing Dynamic Finger Gesturing with High-resolution Surface Electromyography and Computer Vision
08:15

Capturing Dynamic Finger Gesturing with High-resolution Surface Electromyography and Computer Vision

Published on: March 28, 2025

380
One Dimensional Turing-Like Handshake Test for Motor Intelligence
14:05

One Dimensional Turing-Like Handshake Test for Motor Intelligence

Published on: December 15, 2010

26.7K
Author Spotlight: Deciphering the Cognitive and Neural Mechanisms of Gesture in Communication
07:18

Author Spotlight: Deciphering the Cognitive and Neural Mechanisms of Gesture in Communication

Published on: January 26, 2024

816

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Psycholinguistics

Background:

  • Numerical cognition and spatial cognition are known to interact.
  • Manual gestures are frequently used in everyday numerical discourse.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the influence of manual gestures on spatial-numerical associations.
  • To examine if culturally common gestures (outward vs. inward hand movements) affect number generation.

Main Methods:

  • Participants (English and Italian speakers) generated random number sequences.
  • Participants simultaneously performed outward (away from torso) or inward (towards body center) hand movements.
  • Gestures mimicked those used when discussing 'large' or 'small' numbers.

Main Results:

  • A small but consistent effect was observed: outward movements were associated with larger generated numbers, and inward movements with smaller numbers.
  • This spatial-numerical association was present in both English and Italian participant groups.
  • Individual differences in numeracy and gesture perception/production showed minimal impact on the observed effect.

Conclusions:

  • Manual gestures, even when not explicitly instructed, can subtly influence numerical cognition.
  • The findings support the embodied cognition perspective, linking physical actions to abstract concepts like number magnitude.
  • Cultural gestures may play a role in shaping spatial-numerical associations.