Gestual Communication

Question 1

What type of gestures are there in human communication ?

Answer 1

Beat: Rhythmic, emphasis Language Evolution
Pointing gestures: emphasis, direction of attention
Iconic gestures: depict specific aspects
Conventional gestures: refer to distinct meaning, characteristic for certain groups/cultures, etc

Question 2

Why do we gesture?

Answer 2

Humans gesture for themselves and for receivers
Gestures can enter our thoughts and influence communication.

Question 3

Why did scientists try and teach chimpanzees sign language? Did it work? What might be criticised about this?

Answer 3

vocal apparatus seems to be incapable of making most of the vocal movements and modulations important for human speech
attempts to teach primates sign language appeared to be more successful
gesturing used mainly imperative and not declarative
criticism: lack of new gestures / creativity, mainly used towards humans,ethical concerns

Question 4

What counts as gesture?

Answer 4

A subset of communicative signals, which are defined as movements of limbs or head and body postures that are 1) directed toward a recipient, 2) mechanically ineffective, 3) have the potential to receive a voluntary response.

Question 5

How can we define intention?

Answer 5

1) Sensitivity to the social context:
augmentations, additions and substitutions of signals until the goal has been obtained
the form of the signal toward the abbreviated
exaggerated patterns that are appropriate only for achieving a communicative goal

2) Means-ends dissociation (using several means for a single goal, or one mean for different goals).