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The Role of Spontaneous Gestures in Spatial Problem Solving

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Gesture and Sign Language in Human-Computer Interaction and Embodied Communication (GW 2011)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNAI,volume 7206))

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Abstract

When solving spatial problems, people often spontaneously produce hand gestures. Recent research has shown that our knowledge is shaped by the interaction between our body and the environment. In this article, we review and discuss evidence on: 1) how spontaneous gesture can reveal the development of problem solving strategies when people solve spatial problems; 2) whether producing gestures can enhance spatial problem solving performance. We argue that when solving novel spatial problems, adults go through deagentivization and internalization processes, which are analogous to young children’s cognitive development processes. Furthermore, gesture enhances spatial problem solving performance. The beneficial effect of gesturing can be extended to non-gesturing trials and can be generalized to a different spatial task that shares similar spatial transformation processes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurobiology of Language Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Wundtlaan 1, 6525 XD, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Mingyuan Chu

  2. Scool of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, U.K.

    Mingyuan Chu & Sotaro Kita

Authors
  1. Mingyuan Chu
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  2. Sotaro Kita
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. “Athena” RC - Research and Innovation Center in Information, Communication and Knowledge Technologies, Institute for Language and Speech Processing (ILSP), Artemidos 6 & Epidavrou, Maroussi,, 15125, Athens, Greece

    Eleni Efthimiou

  2. Dep. of Informatics and Telecommunications, Speech and Accessibility Lab., National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784, Athens, Greece

    Georgios Kouroupetroglou

  3. “Athena” RC - Research and Innovation Center in Information, Communication and Knowledge Technologies, Processing (ILSP), Artemidos 6 & Epidavrou, Maroussi, 15125, Athens, Greece

    Stavroula-Evita Fotinea

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Chu, M., Kita, S. (2012). The Role of Spontaneous Gestures in Spatial Problem Solving. In: Efthimiou, E., Kouroupetroglou, G., Fotinea, SE. (eds) Gesture and Sign Language in Human-Computer Interaction and Embodied Communication. GW 2011. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 7206. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-34182-3_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-34182-3_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-34181-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-34182-3

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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