You are invited to this week\u2019s special talk organized by the Department of Psychology.
\nEveryone is welcome to attend!<\/p>\n
Gesture, Language and Thought<\/p>\n
Speaker: Sotaro Kita (University of Warwick)<\/p>\n
Date: 17.04.2026, Friday
\nTime: 12:30 PM
\nRoom: A 130<\/p>\n
Abstract: This presentation concerns a theory on how gestures (accompanying speaking and silent thinking) are generated and how gestures facilitate the gesturer\u2019s own cognitive processes. I will present evidence that gestures are generated from a general-purpose Action Generator, which also generates \u201cpractical\u201d actions such as grasping a cup to drink, and that the Action Generator generates gestural representation in close coordination with the speech production process (Kita & Ozyurek, 2003, Journal of Memory and Language). I will also present evidence that gestures facilitate thinking and speaking through four functions: gesture activates, manipulates, packages and explores spatio-motoric representations (Kita, Chu, & Alibali, 2017, Psychological Review). Further, I will argue that schematic nature of gestural representation plays a crucial role in these four functions. To summarise, gesture, generated at the interface of action and language, shapes the way we think and we speak.<\/p>\n
Bio: After studying engineering in Japan (B.Eng. Mathematical Engineering, M.Eng. Information Engineering, University of Tokyo), I received a Ph.D. in psychology and linguistics from the University of Chicago (1993). After the PhD I joined Cognitive Anthropology Research Group (lead by Stephen Levinson) at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in the Netherlands as a postdoc and then a Senior Researcher (1994-2003). At the Max Planck Institute, I was the founding leader of the Gesture Project, one of the research foci of the Institute. I was a Senior Lecturer at the Dept. of Experimental Psychology in the University of Bristol (2003-2006), and a Reader at the School of Psychology in the University of Birmingham (2006-2013). I have been in the current position (Professor of Psychology of Language) at the University of Warwick since 2013. I have been the President for the International Society for Gesture Studies (2012-2014) and the Editor of the journal, GESTURE (2017-2023). I am also a former Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor (Research) (2023-2024), with research culture as the main remit.<\/p>\n
We hope to see you there!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
You are invited to this week\u2019s special talk organized by the Department of Psychology. Everyone is welcome to attend! Gesture, Language and Thought Speaker: Sotaro Kita (University of Warwick) Date: 17.04.2026, Friday Time: 12:30 PM Room: A 130 Abstract: This presentation concerns a theory on how gestures (accompanying speaking and [\u2026] <\/p>\n