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Disambiguating polysemy

How hand gestures help observers interpret the verb touch

ORCiD logo with link | University of Murcia
ORCiD logo with link | The University of Chicago
ORCiD logo with link | University of Murcia
ORCiD logo with link | University of Murcia
Published online: 13 November 2025
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/rcl.00243.bol
Abstract
This paper examines whether observers use gestural information to decide the meaning of the polysemous verb touch in ambiguous contexts. To address this question, three studies were carried out. Study 1 tests whether observers could accurately distinguish the meaning of the verb touch just by looking at hand gestures. Study 2 explores which gesture location and handshape combinations are associated with the physical and emotional meanings of touch. Study 3 investigates whether observers decide the meaning of touch faster when they see a co-speech hand gesture and whether reaction time varies depending on the specific gesture combination observed. The main findings illustrate how the modality of gesture helps observers to disambiguate the meaning of a polysemous word such as the verb touch. Thus, this research shows that location and handshape are key components that bias the meaning of touch when the verbal message is ambiguous or absent.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Study 1
    • 2.1Methodology
      • 2.1.1Task and stimuli
      • 2.1.2Participants
    • 2.2Results
    • 2.3Discussion
  • 3.Study 2
    • 3.1Methodology
      • 3.1.1Task and stimuli
      • 3.1.2Participants
    • 3.2Results
    • 3.3Discussion
  • 4.Study 3
    • 4.1Methodology
      • 4.1.1Task and stimuli
      • 4.1.2Participants
    • 4.2Results
      • 4.2.1Effect of speech and gesture vs. speech alone on RT
      • 4.2.2Effect of speech and gesture vs. gesture alone on RT
      • 4.2.3Effect of gesture location and handshape interaction on RT
    • 4.3Discussion
  • 5.Limitations and future directions
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Data availability statement
  • Ethics statement
  • Note
  • References
References (44)
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