Imagine you’re trying to learn a story, but instead of just reading it, you use your hands to create accompanying gestures. Well, according to this study, that hands-on approach can actually improve your ability to remember the narrative later on! The researchers wanted to see if producing gestures while learning would enhance narrative recall. And guess what? It did! Not only that, but they also discovered that people with stronger verbal memory benefited the most from using gestures during encoding.

But here’s the interesting part: not all gestures are created equal. The study found that when participants made gestures that represented specific points in the story, their recall of those points improved. On the other hand, using beat gestures had no effect on recall. This suggests that certain types of gestures are more helpful for memory than others.

These findings shed light on how gestures can impact our learning process. Teachers and instructors can use this knowledge to design more interactive and engaging lessons, incorporating gestures that correspond to key information. So, go ahead and give it a try! Next time you’re studying or teaching, get those hands moving and see how it boosts your memory!

Curious to learn more about the fascinating connection between gestures and learning? Check out the original research article for all the juicy details!

Abstract
Research has shown that gesture production supports learning across a number of tasks. It is unclear, however, whether gesture production during encoding can support narrative recall, who gesture production benefits most, and whether certain types of gestures are more beneficial than others. This study, therefore, investigated the effect of gesture production during the encoding of a narrative on subsequent narrative recall, and whether individuals’ levels of verbal and nonverbal memory moderated this effect. Additionally, this study investigated whether producing certain types of gestures during encoding was more beneficial than others. Participants (N = 90, Mage
= 20.43) read aloud a narrative while under instruction to produce gestures, under no specific instruction to produce gestures, or were required to keep their hands behind their back to prevent them from gesturing. Participants completed measures assessing verbal and nonverbal memory. While gesture production during encoding benefitted narrative recall (as measured through specific questions), verbal memory moderated the effect, such that gesture production was more beneficial for individuals with higher than lower verbal memory. Furthermore, producing representational gestures during encoding benefitted recall of points in the narrative at which those gestures were produced, while beat gestures had no effect. Findings have implications for understanding the mechanisms underlying the links between gesture and learning, as well as practical implications in instructional settings.

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