Upgraded self-repeated gestures in Japanese interaction

Abstract

Participants in interaction sometimes produce self-repeated gestures, that is, a gesture which can be seen as the same as a gesture produced by the same person immediately before. Drawing on data from Japanese interaction, it is shown that self-repeated gestures can be produced in a weaker form, involving smaller, less energetic, shorter, and/or less distinct movements, or in a stronger form, involving larger, more energetic, longer, and/or more distinct movements. Self-repeated gestures are found in contexts of repair or redesign of the utterance package. The weaker, or attenuated, forms occur when the repair or redoing is not related specifically to the gesture. The attenuated forms are not designed as downgraded. The stronger forms occur when there is some problem with the original gesture, often a problem with recipiency, and the gesture itself is repaired or otherwise redone. The gesture is designed as upgraded. The concept of upgrading has generally been applied to actions performed through talk. The analysis of upgraded self-repeated gesture shows that it can also be applied to gesture, though its application may be limited. The possibility of applying downgrading to gesture may be even more limited.