Human Ethology Lab

Project Outline.
The need to use gestures while speaking is so deeply ingrained in our behavior that we will gesticulate while speaking to someone on the phone. For this project you will record the frequency of gestures used under a variety of conditions.

1. Read the following background information:
   • My web page on gesticulations is HERE
   • Evolved Human Behavior Patterns.  for an introduction to gesticulations and their meanings.
   • From Hand to Mouth: Evidence for an innate language of gestures.
   • The Gestural Origins of Human Language. Read it here.
   • Some video clips of gesticulation are here.
   • The Language of the Hands Summary
   • Use as a potential source: Nonverbal Dictionary
2. A data chart for you to print out in Excel format can be found here.
3. For data collection...
   • To record the behavior of your subjects, seek pairs of subjects that are in the process of eating.
   • Avoid recording data from conversations that include more than two people.
   • Good places to record data include a fast food restaurant, food court at a mall, or people at an outdoor event.
   • You will need to record male-male, male-female, female-male, and female-female interactions.
   • Each of the male-male, male-female (etc.) pairs needs to be recorded twice using different subjects.
   • Choose subjects that are of similar age.
   • Look for behavior patterns with a rhythm.
   • Look for patterns shown in the above readings.
   • Pay attention to head movement and body position too.
   • Determine how a group decides who will speak.
   • Look for similar patterns in the classroom and other contexts.
   • When you are convinced that the creatures you are watching are displaying innate behavior patterns that are no different than those of birds, you can go on to step 4...
4. Record the behavior of the speaker for 10 minutes.
   • As the conversation switches back and forth, pay attention to only the first person.
   • Put hatch marks in the Excel chart each time the subject shows the corresponding behavior.
   • Do this twice for each of the male/female, male/male, etc. interactions.
5. Email your completed data form to me. I will collate the data for the entire class and will post it on the web site. Your report should be on the pooled class data.
6. Using the resources from #1 and your observations from #4, write a report supporting your contention that the five sequences represent innate gesticulations. Include the following in your report:
   1. Which behaviors are most often seen?
   2. Is there a difference in the frequency of behaviors between a male and female.
   3. Are there differences in the frequency of behaviors for same-sex vs. opposite sex pairs?
   4. Discuss your data from an evolutionary point of view.
7. THE POOLED CLASS DATA FOR THE HUMAN BEHAVIOR LAB ARE HERE.