Beat Gestures: An Exploration

Abstract

• Beat gestures are small, rhythmical movements that emphasize certain parts of speech • They are not directly related to the speaker’s meaning • Beat gestures occur frequently, but little is known about their function or origin • The purpose of this study is to explore some of the situational factors that might influence the production of beat gestures • Visibility: Whether the audience can see the gestures or not • Information content: What type of information the speaker is trying to communicate