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Palm-Up Gestures in Children's Give and Take of Arguments: Embodied Practices and Implications for a Theory of Discourse Competence.

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Title: Palm-Up Gestures in Children's Give and Take of Arguments: Embodied Practices and Implications for a Theory of Discourse Competence.
Authors: Heller, Vivien (AUTHOR)
Source: Research on Children & Social Interaction. Feb2026, Vol. 9 Issue 2, p284-311. 28p.
Subjects: Argument, Gesture, Social interaction, Interpersonal conflict, Multimodal user interfaces, Discourse
Abstract: Given the growing recognition of embodiment in conversational argumentation, it becomes crucial to conceptualize children's ability to argue not merely as a linguistic skill but also as an embodied one. This study investigates multimodal gestalts involving palm-up (PU) gestures in peer interactions. While PU gestures have been observed in children's storytelling and explanations—mainly in monologic contexts—their role in conversational argumentation remains underexplored. Based on video recordings of children aged 7–10 years engaged in decision-making, the study analyzes how PUs contribute to argumentation. Findings show that children use PUs to embody interactional functions of their turns and to highlight the global structure of their arguments. The findings are discussed in two key respects: (1) how PUs support coordination among participants during argumentation, and (2) the expansion of an interactional model of argumentative discourse competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Research on Children & Social Interaction is the property of University of Toronto Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Palm-Up Gestures in Children's Give and Take of Arguments: Embodied Practices and Implications for a Theory of Discourse Competence.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Heller%2C+Vivien%22">Heller, Vivien</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Research+on+Children+%26+Social+Interaction%22">Research on Children & Social Interaction</searchLink>. Feb2026, Vol. 9 Issue 2, p284-311. 28p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Argument%22">Argument</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Gesture%22">Gesture</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+interaction%22">Social interaction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interpersonal+conflict%22">Interpersonal conflict</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Multimodal+user+interfaces%22">Multimodal user interfaces</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Discourse%22">Discourse</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Given the growing recognition of embodiment in conversational argumentation, it becomes crucial to conceptualize children's ability to argue not merely as a linguistic skill but also as an embodied one. This study investigates multimodal gestalts involving palm-up (PU) gestures in peer interactions. While PU gestures have been observed in children's storytelling and explanations—mainly in monologic contexts—their role in conversational argumentation remains underexplored. Based on video recordings of children aged 7–10 years engaged in decision-making, the study analyzes how PUs contribute to argumentation. Findings show that children use PUs to embody interactional functions of their turns and to highlight the global structure of their arguments. The findings are discussed in two key respects: (1) how PUs support coordination among participants during argumentation, and (2) the expansion of an interactional model of argumentative discourse competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Research on Children & Social Interaction is the property of University of Toronto Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.3138/rcsi-2025-0013
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 28
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      – SubjectFull: Argument
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Gesture
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      – SubjectFull: Social interaction
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Interpersonal conflict
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Multimodal user interfaces
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      – SubjectFull: Discourse
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      – TitleFull: Palm-Up Gestures in Children's Give and Take of Arguments: Embodied Practices and Implications for a Theory of Discourse Competence.
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              Text: Feb2026
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              Y: 2026
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