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‘Hand movement can boost impact’: AI analyses TED talks to find more persuasive content

The study asked participants to score the speakers and items in films of sales presentations with various hand motions; researchers compared thousands of TED talks video clips of hand features.

Hand gestures, such as physically designating an object described verbally, are examples of highlighters. Highlighters had little to no impact, along with haphazard gestures, the study said. (Image: Freepik)

Language and words carry weight, but they don’t always capture what we mean. Sometimes it’s our gestures that complete the message and show what we’re really trying to say. According to a recent study that was published in the Journal of Marketing Research, some hand movements actually do help people appear more capable and convincing.

“You can use the same content, but if you pay more attention to how that content is delivered, it could have a big impact on persuasiveness,” said Mi Zhou, a co-author of the study and a digital market research scientist at the University of British Columbia.

Zhou and her associates used automated video analysis and Artificial Intelligence to examine 2,184 TED Talks. In addition to asking study participants to score the speakers and items in films of sales presentations with various hand motions, they compared hundreds of thousands of video clips of hand features to audience engagement metrics.

The researchers noted in the study that while this method “demonstrates that hand movement can boost impact,” not all gestures are effective. The group then divided hand gestures into groups, such as highlighters and illustrators.

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Illustrators are gestures that illustrate a point, such as the size of an object. These movements had the biggest effect, improving audience comprehension and giving presenters a more informed appearance.

Gestures such as physically designating an object described verbally are examples of highlighters. Highlighters had little to no impact, along with haphazard gestures, the study said.

Zhou clarified, “We’re delivering the same information in two modes: visual and verbal, so illustrators can help make the content easier to understand.The audience believes that a person has more knowledge and can make things easier to understand if they use their hands to illustrate what they’re talking about visually.”

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The team claims this is the first study to examine hand gestures at scale, and that advances in Artificial Intelligence made this possible. The findings may have implications for influencers, advertisers, and anybody attempting to persuade others.

Sometimes we simply move our hands aimlessly. “It’s a habit.” Zhou said in conclusion, “But it can make a big difference if you pay more attention and understand the impact.”

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