Temporal Distribution of Co-verbal Hand Movements

Abstract The temporal distribution of hand gestures during 10- minute conversation samples was examined in 6 normal and 12 aphasic subjects. Run tests based on the presence or absence of gestures in successive 10-second periods showed that gestures do not occur randomly. Interpretation of this fact is based on complementary observations: (1) Significantly fewer gestures occur in the first 100 seconds of the conversation. (2) Gestures are significantly less frequent in the early moments when the subjects begin to verbalize after an experimenter's intervention. (3) In the low gesticulation group, former gesticulation facilities subsequent gestures and inhibit them in the high gesticulation group. (4) Gestures are facilitated by the hands-to-legs posture, and inhibited by the folded arms posture.

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