The Influence of Gesture on Recollection and Description of Auditory and Visual Stimuli

Indianapolis, IN

This study examined whether gesture impacts recollection of auditory and visual stimulus. Adults saw visual pictures or heard auditory recordings of complex scenes and were later asked to recall the stimuli. Half of the participants could gesture naturally when recalling; the others were inhibited from gesturing. The results suggested that adults recalled auditory and visual stimuli similarly, regardless of gesture condition. Future studies will investigate links between levels of gesture in communication and subsequent memory.