Tactile Gestures
In tactile communication, how do
gestures differ from ordinary actions?
Tactile gestures are transformations of purposeful actions so that they are no longer mechanically effective (i.e,
they lack effective force to make a gorilla perform an action unless it understands and cooperates with
the other gorilla).
Visual Attention: In
Kubie's gesturing to Zura, a low percentage of Kubie's tactile gestures were performed when he had Zura's
visual attention.
Playface:
A low percentage of
tactile gestures were performed with a playface.
Motion:
In 66% of cases, Zura moved her body in the direction Kubie depicted in his
tactile gesture.
Context: Tactile gestures were used most frequently in the context of positioning Zura's
body for bottom-checking or mating play.
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examples
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Some examples:
-
a hand or arm
moving down the recipients body (back, side or other location)
-
patting downward
(on the head, back or bottom)
-
pushing the head
down gently
-
a hand or arm
moving across the recipient's waist or back, toward or away from the gesturer
-
lightly tapping,
poking, or knocking on a body part (thigh, elbow) in a certain direction (down, away, up)
-
pushing away gently
-
holding, then
releasing, a body part (arm, hand, foot) to stop motion
-
pulling gently on a
body part (hand, foot), then releasing it, indicating motion toward
the signaler
-
holding and shaking
a body part, presumably to indicate movement is desired of the recipient
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