Abstract
This study investigates the occurrence of co-speech gestures as a function of prosodic prominence (pitch accents) and discourse meaning (information status) in a clear and engaging speech style. Among several types of co-speech gestures, we examine non-referential gestures, which are claimed to be prosodic in nature (Shattuck-Hufnagel & Ren 2018). In particular, we want to find out to what extent these gestures co-occur with specific accent types and whether they are used to encode referential, lexical, or contrastive information. Our results show that the occurrence of gestures was highest for L+H*, followed by H*, !H*, and unaccented words. Gestures were accompanied by L* only in continuations. Also, co-speech gestures were more likely to occur with new or accessible, and especially contrastive, information than with given information. The patterns differed between the referential and lexical level of information status, though. In general, this study suggests that co-speech gestures contribute to the probabilistic encoding of a word’s information status in conjunction with pitch accents.
Highlights
Gestures often co-occur with speech in communication
The present study investigates the occurrence of co-speech gestures in relation to accent types and information status in a clear and engaging speech style
We address the following research questions: (1) What is the relation between co-speech gestures and accent types? Are gestures more likely to occur with H* or L+H* than L* or !H*?
Summary
Gestures often co-occur with speech in communication. Co-speech gestures include any visible movement of the body including the hands, the arms, the head, and the eyebrows (Kendon 2004). Hand gestures can be described in terms of their functions in communication, such as emblematic, iconic, deictic, and beat gestures (McNeill 1992) These gestures have been found to be temporally aligned with prosodic prominence in prior empirical studies (Jannedy & Mendoza-Denton 2005, Loehr 2012, Shattuck-Hufnagel et al 2007, McClave 1994, Yassinik et al 2004, among many others). Considering their close relations with co-speech gestures, prosodic prominence and discourse meaning will be introduced in more detail
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
