Toward a more embedded/extended perspective on the cognitive function of gestures

Abstract

Gestures are often considered to be demonstrative of the embodied nature of the mind (Hostetter and Alibali, 2008). In this article, we review current theories and research targeted at the intra-cognitive role of gestures. We ask the question how can gestures support internal cognitive processes of the gesturer? We suggest that extant theories are in a sense disembodied, because they focus solely on embodiment in terms of the sensorimotor neural precursors of gestures. As a result, current theories on the intra-cognitive role of gestures are lacking in explanatory scope to address how gestures-as-bodily-acts fulfill a cognitive function. On the basis of recent theoretical appeals that focus on the possibly embedded/extended cognitive role of gestures (Clark, 2013), we suggest that gestures are external physical tools of the cognitive system that replace and support otherwise solely internal cognitive processes. That is gestures provide the cognitive system with a stable external physical and visual presence that can provide means to think with. We show that there is a considerable amount of overlap between the way the human cognitive system has been found to use its environment, and how gestures are used during cognitive processes. Lastly, we provide several suggestions of how to investigate the embedded/extended perspective of the cognitive function of gestures.

Co‐thought gestures in children's mental problem solving: Prevalence and effects on subsequent performance

“…First, in the current study, we did not compare the effect of gesture with the inhibition of gesture, but rather with spontaneous nongesturing. We reasoned that if we did obtain an effect of gesture, it would allow us to conclude that the production rather than the inhibition of gestures affects cognitive processing (for a discussion of the theoretical importance of this difference, see Cook, Yip, & Goldin-Meadow, 2012;Goldin-Meadow et al, 2001;Pouw et al, 2014;Wagner, Nusbaum, & Goldin-Meadow, 2004). However, future studies could compare the role of inhibiting gestures as well, to see whether gesture effects on performance do arise.…”

“…With regard to when and why co-thought gestures are produced, evidence seems to suggest that-like co-speech gestures-they are used to support problem solving especially when internal cognitive resources are taxed (Pouw et al, 2014). That is, compared to not gesturing, co-speech and co-thought gestures are more likely to arise when the problem at hand is more difficult (e.g., Chu & Kita, 2008;Hostetter, Alibali, & Kita, 2007).…”

How do gestures influence thinking and speaking? The gesture-for-conceptualization hypothesis.

“…The idea stems from Kita's (2000) The four functions posited by the Gesture-for-Conceptualization hypothesis may also explain evidence that co-speech gesture lightens the cognitive load of speaking (e.g., Goldin-Meadow et al, 2001;Pouw, De Nooijer, Van Gog, Zwaan, & Paas, 2014). The most direct evidence for this idea comes from studies in which speakers explain their solutions to mathematical equations, either with or without gesturing, while maintaining verbal or visual information in working memory (Cook, Yip, & Goldin-Meadow, 2012;Goldin-Meadow et al, 2001;Marstaller & Burianova, 2013).…”

Gesturing during mental problem solving reduces eye movements, especially for individuals with lower visual working memory capacity

“…Gesturing can benefit problem solving, especially under conditions of high cognitive load (e.g., Chu & Kita, 2011;Marstaller & Burianová, 2013; for a review see Pouw, De Nooijer, Van Gog, Zwaan, & Paas, 2014). Yet, the exact mechanisms through which the cognitive system exploits manual activity are still not clear.…”

“…Yet, the exact mechanisms through which the cognitive system exploits manual activity are still not clear. Based on the literature discussed below, we hypothesized that gestures (pointing) allow for spatially indexing mental simulations in space, which come to stand in for eye movements that visually project mental simulations onto the presentation of the task in the external environment (Cappucio, Cooperrider, Wakefield, & Goldin-Meadow, 2015;Pouw et al, 2014). To test that hypothesis, we investigated whether gesturing (pointing) vs. not gesturing during mental problem solving (Tower of Hanoi; hereon TOH) affected eye movements.…”