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Creating a Communication System from Scratch: Gesture Beats Vocalization Hands Down

Authors :
Nicolas eFay
Casey Joy Lister
T. Mark Ellison
Susan eGoldin-Meadow
Source :
Frontiers in Psychology, Vol 5 (2014)
Publication Year :
2014
Publisher :
Frontiers Media S.A., 2014.

Abstract

How does modality affect people’s ability to create a communication system from scratch? The present study experimentally tests this question by having pairs of participants communicate a range of pre-specified items (emotions, actions, objects) over a series of trials to a partner using either non-linguistic vocalization, gesture or a combination of the two. Gesture-alone outperformed vocalization-alone, both in terms of successful communication and in terms of the creation of an inventory of sign-meaning mappings shared within a dyad (i.e., sign alignment). Combining vocalization with gesture did not improve performance beyond gesture-alone. In fact, for action items, gesture-alone was a more successful means of communication than the combined modalities. When people do not share a system for communication they can quickly create one, and gesture is the best means of doing so.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
16641078
Volume :
5
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Frontiers in Psychology
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.60c15c1cc728460c9fe58802aac39095
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00354