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The semantic content of gestures varies with information status, definiteness and clause structure

Debreslioska, Sandra LU and Gullberg, Marianne LU orcid (2020) In Journal of Pragmatics 168. p.36-52
Abstract
When speakers mention referents for the first time in discourse, they can also accompany them with gestures. This study explores whether the semantic content expressed by such gestures – whether gestures focus on the entity itself or on an action that the referent is involved in – is related to discourse properties. We consider the potential effects of a referent’s information status (brand-new/inferable), definiteness of the referring expression (indefinite/definite), and the clause structure in which it occurs (more/less specialized for referent introduction). Results suggest that ‘entity’ gestures specifically accompany brand-new referents expressed by indefinite nominals (e.g., indicating the shape of ‘a broom’), and in clause... (More)
When speakers mention referents for the first time in discourse, they can also accompany them with gestures. This study explores whether the semantic content expressed by such gestures – whether gestures focus on the entity itself or on an action that the referent is involved in – is related to discourse properties. We consider the potential effects of a referent’s information status (brand-new/inferable), definiteness of the referring expression (indefinite/definite), and the clause structure in which it occurs (more/less specialized for referent introduction). Results suggest that ‘entity’ gestures specifically accompany brand-new referents expressed by indefinite nominals (e.g., indicating the shape of ‘a broom’), and in clause structures specialized for the introduction of referents (e.g., ‘there was a broom’). In contrast, ‘action’ gestures are more likely to occur with inferable referents expressed by definite nominals (e.g., pretending to hold the broom), and in less specialized clause structures focusing on events (e.g., ‘a spoon came flying in). The study highlights the importance of considering variations on the word, clause and discourse levels for understanding the semantic content of gestures. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
gesture, discourse, bimodal discourse production, meaning in gesture, semantic content of gesture, referent introduction
in
Journal of Pragmatics
volume
168
pages
36 - 52
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85088977621
ISSN
0378-2166
DOI
10.1016/j.pragma.2020.06.005
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3f6a2cfa-e086-4b40-babc-7fec245f84d1
date added to LUP
2020-06-09 15:39:22
date last changed
2023-12-04 14:16:40
@article{3f6a2cfa-e086-4b40-babc-7fec245f84d1,
  abstract     = {{When speakers mention referents for the first time in discourse, they can also accompany them with gestures. This study explores whether the semantic content expressed by such gestures – whether gestures focus on the entity itself or on an action that the referent is involved in – is related to discourse properties. We consider the potential effects of a referent’s information status (brand-new/inferable), definiteness of the referring expression (indefinite/definite), and the clause structure in which it occurs (more/less specialized for referent introduction). Results suggest that ‘entity’ gestures specifically accompany brand-new referents expressed by indefinite nominals (e.g., indicating the shape of ‘a broom’), and in clause structures specialized for the introduction of referents (e.g., ‘there was a broom’). In contrast, ‘action’ gestures are more likely to occur with inferable referents expressed by definite nominals (e.g., pretending to hold the broom), and in less specialized clause structures focusing on events (e.g., ‘a spoon came flying in). The study highlights the importance of considering variations on the word, clause and discourse levels for understanding the semantic content of gestures.}},
  author       = {{Debreslioska, Sandra and Gullberg, Marianne}},
  issn         = {{0378-2166}},
  keywords     = {{gesture; discourse; bimodal discourse production; meaning in gesture; semantic content of gesture; referent introduction}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  pages        = {{36--52}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of Pragmatics}},
  title        = {{The semantic content of gestures varies with information status, definiteness and clause structure}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2020.06.005}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.pragma.2020.06.005}},
  volume       = {{168}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}