Pantomimic gestures reveal the sensorimotor imagery of a human-fostered gorilla

Perlman, M., & Gibbs, R. W. (2013). Pantomimic gestures reveal the sensorimotor imagery of a human-fostered gorilla. Journal of Mental Imagery, 37(3/4), 73-96.
This article describes the use of pantomimic gestures by the human-fostered gorilla, Koko, as evidence of her sensorimotor imagery. We present five video recorded instances of Koko's spontaneously created pantomimes during her interactions with human caregivers. The precise movements and context of each gesture are described in detail to examine how it functions to communicate Koko's requests for various objects and actions to be performed. Analysis assess the active "iconicity" of each targeted gesture and examines the underlying elements of sensorimotor imagery that are incorporated by the gesture. We suggest that Koko's pantomimes reflect an imaginative understanding of different actions, objects, and events that is similar in important respects with humans' embodied imagery capabilities.
Publication type
Journal article
Publication date
2013

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