Talk to the hand: Black and White cultural differences in gesture use.

One reason that Black and White individuals often have difficulties in their interactions may stem from differences in nonverbal communication styles (Bishop, 1979; Crago et al., 1997; J. N. Shelton et al., 2023; Varonis & Gass, 1985). Here, across four studies, we examine cultural differences in gesture, a form of nonverbal communication, in Black and White speakers. In Study 1, Black participants (N = 75) rated actors who gestured more as being more natural and White participants (N = 75) rated actors who gestured less as being more natural. In addition, Black actors were rated as being more natural when gesturing more, while White actors were rated as being more natural when gesturing less. Study 2 shows that when a Black talk show host speaks with a Black guest, he gestures more than when speaking with a White guest. Study 3 found that Black speakers (N = 25) gestured more frequently and used larger gestures compared to White speakers (N = 25). Finally, Study 4 demonstrates that Biracial Black/White speakers who had their Black identity primed (N = 32) gestured more frequently and used larger gestures than those who had their White identity primed (N = 22), suggesting that gesture is culturally tied to racial identity salience. Together, these studies suggest that there are culturally learned gesture styles based on racial group membership. Thus, gesture is an understudied aspect of interracial interactions that may influence comfort in cross-cultural communication between Black and White individuals. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Duke Scholars

Author Sarah Elizabeth Gaither Psychology & Neuroscience