Hand gestures are a fundamental component of human communication (e.g., Clough & DuS, 2020; Kendon, 1997), yet their inherent complexity presents significant challenges for study. In this talk, I present a dataset comprising 2,372 annotated gestures, designed to facilitate in-depth analysis of human communication. We captured these gestures from nine speakers across three distinct categories: lecturers, politicians, and psychotherapists. The annotations encompass various aspects, including gesture types (e.g., metaphoric, iconic), descriptive terms characterizing each gesture (e.g., "sweep," "container"), and their corresponding verbal utterances. Additionally, the dataset provides detailed insights into physical properties such as distance from the body, hand configuration, and palm orientation. Importantly, we identified 97 new gestures (i.e., descriptive terms) not previously described in the literature.
I will demonstrate how this dataset supports the investigation of complex gestural phenomena, using the concept of ideational units as an illustrative example. Ideational units refer to gestural sequences that are cohesively linked through physical representations of the same or related concepts (Calbris, 2011). Within the dataset, we identified 435 such gestural sequences and conducted an analysis of their structures and patterns to explore how they convey meaning.
Furthermore, I will discuss the implications of these findings for both theoretical frameworks and practical applications within gesture research, highlighting the potential contributions of this dataset to advancements in the fields of psychology and social robotics. Ultimately, this work underscores the role of gestures in enriching communication and provides insights into the intricate interplay between gesture and speech.