Gestures

Gestures are movements of the body, especially the hands and arms, used to convey information in social interaction. They are a form of nonverbal communication that can accompany, reinforce, or substitute for spoken language. While facial expressions and posture are related signals, gestures refer to deliberate movements with communicative meaning.

Scholars categorize gestures into several types. Emblems are conventional signs with a fixed meaning, such as a thumbs-up. Illustrators accompany speech and illustrate its content, like pointing or tracing shapes in the air. Regulators help manage the flow of conversation, for example by nodding to indicate listening or using hand motions to signal “continue.” Adaptors are self-directed movements, such as fidgeting or scratching, often linked to internal states. Affect displays convey emotion through bodily signals, including gestures that accompany facial expressions.

Gestures serve multiple functions: they regulate interaction, emphasize or clarify spoken messages, convey attitudes, and sometimes replace words entirely. They can add nuance, reduce ambiguity, or reveal attitudes that words alone may not express. Cultural norms strongly shape which gestures are appropriate and what they signify.

Cultural variation is a central feature of gesture study. Many gestures are culture-specific, and meanings can change across contexts or communities; some may be considered polite in one culture and offensive in another. Gestures develop in infancy and interact with language development; many children first communicate through gesture before acquiring spoken words. Sign languages are independent languages that use rich gestural systems.

Gesture research spans anthropology, psychology, and linguistics. The field also considers digital-era equivalents, such as emojis and reaction GIFs, which function as visual gestures in online communication.