Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-07T10:25:52.807Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Understanding gesture in sign and speech: Perspectives from theory of mind, bilingualism, and acting

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 April 2017

Usha Lakshmanan  and
Zachary Pilot
Usha Lakshmanan
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL 62901. usha@siu.eduzach.pilot@siu.edu
Zachary Pilot
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL 62901. usha@siu.eduzach.pilot@siu.edu
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

In their article, Goldin-Meadow & Brentari (G-M&B) assert that researchers must differentiate between sign/speech and gesture. We propose that this distinction may be useful if situated within a two-systems approach to theory of mind (ToM) and discuss how drawing upon perspectives from bilingualism and acting can help us understand the role of gesture in spoken/sign language.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 40 , 2017 , e61
Check for updates
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Apperly, I. A. & Butterfill, S. A. (2009) Do humans have two systems to track beliefs and belief-like states? Psychological Review 116(4):953–70.Google Scholar
Brown, A. & Gullberg, M. (2008) Bidirectional Crosslinguistic Influence in L1–L2 encoding of manner in speech and gesture: A study of Japanese speakers of English. Studies in Second Language Acquisition 50:225–51.Google Scholar
Casey, S. & Emmorey, K. (2008) Cospeech gesture in bimodal bilinguals. Language and Cognitive Processes 24:290–312.Google Scholar
Casey, S., Emmorey, K. & Larrabee, H. (2013) The effects of learning American Sign Language on Cospeech gesture. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition 15:677–86.Google Scholar
Choi, S. & Lantolf, J. P. (2008) Representation and embodiment of meaning in L2 communication: Motion events in the speech and gesture of advanced L2 Korean and L2 English speakers. Studies in Second Language Acquisition 30(2):191–224.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Emmorey, K., Borinstein, H. & Thompson, R. (2005) Bimodal bilingualism: Code blending between spoken English and American Sign Language. In: Proceedings of the 4th Symposium on Bilingualism, ed. Cohen, J., McAlister, K., Rolstad, K. & MacSwan, J., pp. 663–73. Cascadilla Press.Google Scholar
Fodor, J. (1983) The modularity of mind: An essay on faculty psychology. MIT Press.Google Scholar
Goldstein, T. R. & Winner, E. (2012) Enhancing empathy and theory of mind. Journal of Cognition and Development 13(1):19–37.Google Scholar
Goldstein, T. R., Wu, K. & Winner, E. (2009) Actors are skilled in theory of mind but not empathy. Imagination, Cognition and Personality 29(2):115–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gullberg, M. (2006) Some reasons for studying gesture and second language acquisition (Hommage à Adam Kendon). International Review of Applied Linguistics 44:103–24.Google Scholar
Montgomery, K. J., Isenberg, N. & Haxby, J. V. (2007) Communicative hand gestures and object-directed hand movements activated the mirror neuron system. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience 2(2):114–22.Google Scholar
Negueruela, E., Lantolf, J. P., Jordan, S. R. & Gelabert, J. (2004) The “private function” of gesture in second language speaking activity: A study of motion verbs and gesturing in English and Spanish. International Journal of Applied Linguistics 14:113–47.Google Scholar
Noice, H. & Noice, T. (2006) What studies of actors and acting can tell us about memory and cognitive functioning. Current Directions in Psychological Science 15(1):14–18.Google Scholar
Pilot, Z. (2015) The effect of college and acting experience on performance of theory of mind tasks in emerging adulthood. Master's thesis. Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.Google Scholar
Pilot, Z. & Lakshmanan, U. (2015) Does acting experience and college experience influence theory of mind in emerging adulthood? Poster presentation. In: 56th Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Chicago, November.Google Scholar