Let Your Fingers Do the Talking

We all know that hand gestures can spice up a story or punctuate an idea. But now it appears waving hands and pointing fingers may actually make our speech more articulate, too.

Columbia University psychologist Robert Krauss, Ph.D., videotaped 41 students as they described action-packed excerpts from Road Runner cartoons. Half of the students were allowed to move their hands while talking, while the rest were permitted to use only words. The gesturers, it turned out, were more eloquent in recounting the coyote's foibles, at least when explaining spatial relationships between objects or characters--for example, "The coyote is perched on a rock." They also spoke more quickly, were less likely to repeat themselves, and emitted fewer "ers" and "ums." The reason, suggests Krauss, is that gestures act as a mental bridge between spatial concepts and words, making it easier for us to think of the right phrase quickly. While the study may shed light on speech disorders, it's also a potent reminder that communicating is a full-body affair.

PHOTO (COLOR): Hands and fingers can do the talking.

Edited by Peter Doskoch