Synchronization of hand movements and f0 in Spanish explanatory remarks

Abstract

In a previous research (Pietrosemoli and Mora, 1998) a close relationship between f0 and the hand movement was reported. Specifically, in the case of explanatory, qualifying or emphatic remarks, a synchronization of the fundamental frequency and the hand was observed. The present study was designed to examine more closely this synchrony. A corpus of 14 parenthetical remarks was analyzed and the following patterns observed: a) the “explanatory” remark is characterized by the rising of f0 paralleled by a rising of the hand departing from its resting position. A falling f0 and a descent of the hand signals the end of the remark; b) the “emphatic” remark, exhibits a similar pattern of synchronization, although, presenting, in this case, an abrupt rising and falling of f0 and the movement of the hand. In both types of remarks, a noticeable silence and the return of the hand to a resting or neutral position signal the ending. These findings suggest that manual gestures are a reflection of mental processes, and underscore the relevance of hand movements in human communication.