pointings

Pointings is the plural form of pointing, referring to acts or instances of indicating with a gesture, typically the extension of the index finger, to designate a referent, location, or direction in space.

In human communication, pointing is a nonverbal cue that often accompanies speech, helping to establish shared attention and clarify references. Researchers distinguish several functional types, including deictic pointing (directing attention to a present referent), imperative pointing (to request or obtain something), and referential pointing (labeling or identifying objects for another person). Pointing is commonly coordinated with gaze, head orientation, and vocal cues to enhance communicative clarity.

Cultural and developmental aspects influence pointing behavior. Pointing norms vary across cultures; some communities restrict or reinterpret pointing, while others use different hand shapes or even whole-arm gestures. In infancy, spontaneous pointing typically emerges around 9 to 14 months and is linked to later language development and social cognition. How caregivers respond to pointing can affect vocabulary growth and the development of joint attention.

In nonhuman animals, pointing-like gestures have been observed in some primates and other species, where they serve to request assistance or indicate objects, contributing to debates about the evolution of human communication.

Applications of the study of pointings include insights into gesture-speech integration, social learning, and the mechanisms by which humans coordinate attention and reference in both everyday interactions and developmental research.