Gesture accompaniment of evasive replies: an experimental study of kinetographs in television discourse
Abstract
The aim of this study is to identify the specific characteristics and functions of illustrative kinetographic gestures used in the strategy of evading direct answers. The work is based on the classification by P. Ekman and W. Friesen, according to which kinetographs constitute a distinct class of illustrative gestures that reproduce physical actions. A central focus of the research is a comprehensive analysis of these gestures, including a formal description of their parameters and an investigation of their functional features within the context of the evasion strategy. The ELAN software was employed for data processing, enabling detailed annotation of gesture patterns as well as precise quantitative evaluation. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that, for the first time, using material from Russian-language talk shows, a statistically significant correlation was identified between kinetographs and their parameters (movement direction “bottom-up,” circular trajectory, specific palm positions (“up” and asynchronous placement) (p < 0.05)) and tactics of attention redirection in evasion. The results demonstrate that kinetographs and the specified parameters of these gestures perform two key functions: compensating for verbal ambiguity through enhanced expressiveness of movements, and serving as an additional means of emphasizing an alternative topic. This study contributes to the development of nonverbal communication theory and offers practical tools for gesture analysis in situations where recognizing evasion is crucial.
References
- DePaulo B. M., Hartwig E., Granhag J. New Directions in Deception Detection // Current Directions in Psychological Science. 2021. Vol. 30. № 3.
- DePaulo B. M., Lindsay J. J., Malone B. E., Muhlenbruck L., Charlton K., Cooper H. Cues to deception // Psychological Bulletin. 2003. Vol. 129. № 1.
- Efron D. Gesture and Environment. N. Y.: King’s Crown Press, 1941.
- Ekman P., Friesen W. V. Hand movements // Journal of Communication. 1972. Vol. 22. № 4.
- Ekman P., Friesen W. V. The repertoire of nonverbal behavior: Categories, origins, usage, and coding // Semiotica. 1969. Vol. 1. № 1.
- Gibbs R. W. Embodied Cognition and Gesture Studies // Annual Review of Cognitive Linguistics. 2022. Vol. 20.
- Gibbs R. W. Embodiment and Cognitive Science. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.
- Gibbs R. W. The Poetics of Mind: Figurative Thought, Language, and Understanding. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994.
- Goldin-Meadow S. Hearing Gesture: How Our Hands Help Us Think. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2003.
- Kendon A. Gesture: Visible Action as Utterance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004.
- McNeill D. Gesture and Cognitive Development // Cognitive Science. 2021. Vol. 45. № 7.
- McNeill D. Gesture and Thought. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2005.
- McNeill D. Hand and Mind: What Gestures Reveal about Thought. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992.
- Müller C. Gestures as a medium of expression: The linguistic potential of gestures // Body – Language – Communication: An International Handbook on Multimodality in Human Interaction. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton, 2013. Vol. 1.
- Müller C. Redebegleitende Gesten: Kulturgeschichte – Theorie – Sprachvergleich. Berlin: Arno Spitz, 1998.
- Vrij A. Detecting Lies and Deceit: Pitfalls and Opportunities. 2nd ed. Chichester: Wiley, 2008.
- Vrij A., Hart T., Granhag P. Deception Detection in the Digital Age // Nature Reviews Psychology. 2022. Vol. 1. № 8.
Author information
About this article
Publication history
- Received: May 28, 2025.
- Published: July 7, 2025.
Keywords
- стратегия уклонения
- перенаправление внимания
- иллюстративные жесты
- иллюстративные кинетографы
- иллюстративные кинетографы в уклонении
- evasion strategy
- attention redirection
- illustrative gestures
- illustrative kinetographs
- illustrative kinetographs in evasion
Copyright
© 2025 The Author(s)
© 2025 Gramota Publishing, LLC