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The following points highlight the six main types of gestures used by an individual. The types are: 1. Emotional Gesture 2. Demonstrative Gesture 3. Graphic Gesture 4. Symbolic Gesture 5. Habitual Gesture 6. Autistic Gesture.
Type # 1. Emotional Gesture:
It is used to express the emotion of fear, anger jealousy, joy. For instance, in anger a person clenches his fists, in joy he smiles or laughs showing a pleasant expression.
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Type # 2. Demonstrative Gesture:
This is used to point out certain objects or stimuli at seen distance like pointing a man to go this way or that way, to the left or to the right or to come nearer. Demonstrative gestures thus refer to some kind of direction.
Type # 3. Graphic Gesture:
It is used to describe certain things and events in immediate detail or minute detail. For example, symbolic description of a man, his various gestures, way of talking, walking, the way he describes others are graphic gestures.
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Graphic gestures are particularly used in describing objects or stimuli which are not visible or which are not present in the environment. Quite a lot of conversation is possible through graphic gestures as observed in a small baby or in primitive man.
Dance is a type of graphic gesture. The dancers and the actors make use of gestures to convey meanings. Ordinarily, gestures are used to supplement words. The gestures may further enrich the meanings of the words and they make the experience complete. Gestures can even change the meaning of words.
For instance, the same remark when accompanied with a smile would bring a different meaning than when accompanied with a rebuke or sarcastic expression. Children at the early stage respond more to gesture than to words. After the second year, they usually can understand some of the words which the mother uses. Even in the first few months the child responds to the gestures.
There is thus individual difference in using gestures and learning language. Even elderly people sometimes make gestures to express their feelings as and when necessary, like someone welcomes a guest with a smile and requests him to sit through a gesture by hand. First impression that someone gets on somebody also depends upon facial expression and gesture.
Type # 4. Symbolic Gesture:
These are used for expressing highly symbolic ideas, like the gestures used in classical dances. Artistic ideas are also used through this gesture.
Type # 5. Habitual Gesture:
Such gestures which people develop out of sheer habit is known as habitual gesture. These gestures have not much meaning like ticks, mannerisms.
Type # 6. Autistic Gesture:
It is a type of gesture which signifies mental conflicts like nail biting, teasing the hair, moving the legs. Certain gestures have no meaning. But they are significant for the very individual.
From the point of view of communication, the emotional and graphic gestures are quite significant. The different types of gestures have some stimulus value. People use to understand the gestures of other persons by internalizing their thinking and using as significant symbols.