<div class="" data-article-body="true"><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">When people use hand gestures that visually represent what they’re saying, listeners see them as more clear, competent and persuasive. That’s the key finding from my new research published in the Journal of Marketing Research, where I analyzed thousands of TED Talks and ran controlled experiments to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/00222437251385922" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:examine how gestures shape communication;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">examine how gestures shape communication</a>.</p><h2 class="mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl">Talking with your hands</h2><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Whether you’re giving a presentation, pitching an idea or leading a meeting, you probably spend most of your prep time thinking about what you’ll say. But what about the ways you’ll move your hands?</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">I grew up in Italy, where gesturing is practically a second language. Now that I live in the United States, I’ve become acutely aware of how <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0001862" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:cultures differ in how, and how much;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">cultures differ in how, and how much</a>, people move their hands when they talk. Still, across contexts and cultures, one thing is constant: People do talk with their hands.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">As <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=q1s3844AAAAJ&amp;hl=en&amp;oi=ao" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:someone who studies communication;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">someone who studies communication</a>, I’d noticed how some speakers seemed instantly clearer when they gestured. This made me wonder: Do gestures actually make communicators more effective?</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">The short answer is yes, but only when the gestures visually represent the idea you’re talking about. Researchers call these movements “<a href="https://www.paulekman.com/nonverbal-communication/types-of-gestures/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:illustrators;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">illustrators</a>.” For example:</p><ul class="mb-4"><li class="ml-4 list-disc"><div class=""><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">When talking about distance, you might spread your hands apart while saying something is “farther away.”</p></div></li><li class="ml-4 list-disc"><div class=""><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">When explaining how two concepts relate, you might bring your hands together while saying “these ideas fit together.”</p></div></li><li class="ml-4 list-disc"><div class=""><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">When describing how the market demand “is going up and down,” you could visually depict a wave shape with your hands.</p></div></li></ul><figure class="relative mb-4"><div class="relative"><img alt="man speaking holds his hands apart" loading="lazy" width="960" height="559" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" class="rounded-lg" style="color:transparent" src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/tHINC113UrXR3PD4lXV4zQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU1OTtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_conversation_us_articles_815/480e56a822578a01bef8ccf34e59294e"><button aria-label="View larger image" class="group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent" data-ylk="elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;"><span class="absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none"><svg viewbox="0 0 22 22" aria-hidden="true" class="size-4 lg:size-6" width="22" height="22"><path d="M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z"></path></svg></span></button><dialog aria-label="Modal Dialog" aria-modal="true" class="fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden"></dialog></div><figcaption class="relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5"><div style="max-height:none;overflow:visible">One video included in the study provides an example of a TED speaker on stage gesturing as he presents his talk. <a href="https://youtu.be/IRxgDMSp9Gs?si=Su8K_DUkbCPQ0wZB" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:YouTube/TED – David Agus: A new strategy in the war against cancer;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">YouTube/TED – David Agus: A new strategy in the war against cancer</a></div></figcaption></figure><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words"><a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/00222437251385922" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:To study gestures at scale;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">To study gestures at scale</a>, my team and I analyzed 200,000 video segments from more than 2,000 TED Talks using AI tools that can detect and classify hand gestures frame by frame. We paired this with controlled experiments in which our study participants evaluated entrepreneurs pitching a product.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">The same pattern of results appeared in both settings. In the AI-analyzed TED Talk data, illustrative gestures predicted higher audience evaluations, reflected in more than 33 million online “likes” of the videos. And in our experiments, 1,600 participants rated speakers who used illustrative gestures as more clear, competent and persuasive.</p><h2 class="mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl">How hands can help get your point across</h2><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">What I found is that these gestures give listeners a visual shortcut to your meaning. They make abstract ideas feel more concrete, helping listeners build a mental picture of what you’re saying. This makes the message feel easier to process – a phenomenon psychologists call “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1088868309341564" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:processing fluency;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">processing fluency</a>.” And we found that when ideas feel easier to grasp, people tend to see the speaker as more competent and persuasive.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">But not all gestures help. Movements that don’t match the message – like random waving, fidgeting or pointing to things in the space – <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/00222437251385922" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:offer no such benefit;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">offer no such benefit</a>. In some cases, they can even distract.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">A practical takeaway: Focus on clarity over choreography. Think about where your hands naturally illustrate what you’re saying – emphasizing size, direction or emotion – and let them move with purpose.</p><h2 class="mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl">What’s next</h2><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Your hands aren’t just accessories to your words. They can be a powerful tool to make your ideas resonate.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">I’m now investigating whether people can learn to gesture better – almost like developing a nonverbal vocabulary. Early pilot tests are promising: Even a 5-minute training session helps people become clearer and more effective through the use of appropriate hand gestures.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">While my research examined how individual gestures work together with spoken language, the next step is to understand what makes a communicator effective <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4580994" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:with their voice;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">with their voice</a> and, ultimately, across all the channels they use to communicate – how gestures combine with voice, facial expressions and body movement. I’m now exploring AI tools that track all these channels at once so I can identify the patterns, not just the isolated gestures, that make speakers more effective communicators.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words"><em>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com/us?utm_source=Yahoo&amp;utm_medium=related-link&amp;utm_campaign=related-link-0&amp;utm_content=article-270352" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:The Conversation;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">The Conversation</a>, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/giovanni-luca-cascio-rizzo-2527283?utm_source=Yahoo&amp;utm_medium=related-link&amp;utm_campaign=byline-link&amp;utm_content=article-270352" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Giovanni Luca Cascio Rizzo;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Giovanni Luca Cascio Rizzo</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-california-1265?utm_source=Yahoo&amp;utm_medium=related-link&amp;utm_campaign=byline-link&amp;utm_content=article-270352" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:University of Southern California;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">University of Southern California</a></em> </em></p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words"><strong>Read more:</strong><br></p><ul class="mb-4"><li class="ml-4 list-disc"><div class=""><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words"><a href="http://theconversation.com/messages-can-trigger-the-opposite-of-their-desired-effect-but-you-can-avoid-communication-that-backfires-230844?utm_source=Yahoo&amp;utm_medium=related-link&amp;utm_campaign=related-link0&amp;utm_content=article-270352" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Messages can trigger the opposite of their desired effect − but you can avoid communication that backfires;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Messages can trigger the opposite of their desired effect − but you can avoid communication that backfires</a></p></div></li><li class="ml-4 list-disc"><div class=""><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words"><a href="http://theconversation.com/trumps-raised-fist-is-a-go-to-gesture-with-a-long-history-of-different-meanings-232382?utm_source=Yahoo&amp;utm_medium=related-link&amp;utm_campaign=related-link1&amp;utm_content=article-270352" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Trump’s raised fist is a go-to gesture with a long history of different meanings;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Trump’s raised fist is a go-to gesture with a long history of different meanings</a></p></div></li><li class="ml-4 list-disc"><div class=""><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words"><a href="http://theconversation.com/when-was-talking-invented-a-language-scientist-explains-how-this-unique-feature-of-human-beings-may-have-evolved-186877?utm_source=Yahoo&amp;utm_medium=related-link&amp;utm_campaign=related-link2&amp;utm_content=article-270352" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:When was talking invented? A language scientist explains how this unique feature of human beings may have evolved;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">When was talking invented? A language scientist explains how this unique feature of human beings may have evolved</a></p></div></li></ul><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words"><em><span>Giovanni Luca Cascio Rizzo does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p></div>

Your hands aren’t just accessories to your words. They’re one of the most powerful tools you have to make your ideas resonate.

People who talk with their hands seem more clear and persuasive – new research

Congrats on your new Android telephone! Getting another gadget is a thrilling encounter, and to guarantee a smooth and


10 Demonstrated Tips to Boost Your New Android Cell phone: A Thorough Aide


In the present computerized age, individual marking has turned into an incredible asset for people to lay out their personality, share their skill,


Building an Individual Brand: Illustrations from Forces to be reckoned with


Finding reasonable and appropriate senior living choices is vital for the vast majority more established grown-ups and their families. The UK offers


Exhaustive Experiences into Prudent Senior Living in the UK


WASHINGTON, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Jupiter's moon Europa is on the short list of places in our solar system seen as promising in the search for life beyond Earth, with a large subsurface ocean thought to

Study casts doubt on potential for life on Jupiter's moon Europa

The United Nations chief called on Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Tuesday not to prosecute detained U.N. personnel and to work “in good faith” to immediately release all detained staff from the U.N. and foreign agencies and missions.  Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the referrals of the U.N. personnel to the Houthis' special criminal court and called the detentions of U.N. staff a violation of international law, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

UN chief calls on Yemen's Houthi rebels to free all UN detainees

Health insurance costs are expected to rise in 2026 as ACA subsidies expire and new rules take effect. Here's what enrollees need to know.

What's changing about healthcare in 2026 — Medicare, Medicaid, ACA, premiums, and enrollment deadlines

For golf lovers looking for a definitive encounter, very good quality fairways all over the planet offer stunning scenes, testing plans, and rich


Very good quality Greens All over The Planet


The people who manage America’s aquifers, wetlands, shorelines and recreation areas rely on federal science as they face new and rising risks in a changing climate.

From invasive species tracking to water security – what’s lost with federal funding cuts at US Climate Adaptation Science Centers

In the present speedy and requesting workplace, experts are continually looking for ways of improving their efficiency and proficiency. Fortunately, the


7 Extraordinary Efficiency Applications for Experts


Putting resources into sunlight powered chargers is only the underlying step towards maintainable living and energy reserve funds. Nonetheless, to really procure the


Instructions to Upgrade the Proficiency of Your Sunlight powered chargers


Ocean Network Express will return to the Red Sea in a slot charter agreement with Regional Container Lines of China The post ONE returns to Red Sea with new service appeared first on FreightWaves.

ONE returns to Red Sea with new service

Scent has for some time been a fundamental part of individual articulation and class, with specific aromas accomplishing notable status in the


6 Well known Ladies' Fragrances On the planet


The issue of forcing citizens to serve in the military is back as the war between Russia and Ukraine grinds on.

Which European countries have mandatory or voluntary military service

Breakfast is much of the time called the main dinner of the day, and for good explanation. It gives the energy required
