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Move Your Hands, Win the Room: Study Shows Which Gestures Boost Persuasion

The Journal of Marketing Research used AI to analyze 2,184 TED Talks and hundreds of thousands of short clips to link hand movements with audience engagement. The study found that illustrator gestures—motions that visually depict what’s being described—boost understanding and make speakers seem more knowledgeable. By contrast, pointing (highlighters) and random movements offered little benefit. The results, enabled by AI, offer practical guidance for anyone trying to persuade an audience.

04:11 AM, 11/28/2025Science
Move Your Hands, Win the Room: Study Shows Which Gestures Boost Persuasion

A new study in the Journal of Marketing Research finds that certain hand gestures make speakers appear more knowledgeable and persuasive. Using artificial intelligence to analyze thousands of videos, researchers identified which movements improve audience understanding—and which do not.

How the study was done

Mi Zhou, a co-author of the study and a digital market research scientist at the University of British Columbia, and her team used AI-driven video analysis to examine 2,184 TED Talks. They matched hundreds of thousands of short clips that captured hand features with audience engagement metrics, and also ran controlled experiments where participants rated speakers and products in sales-pitch videos that differed only in hand movement.

What worked—and what didn’t

The researchers categorized gestures into types and tested their effects. Two key findings emerged:

  • Illustrators: Gestures that visually depict what the speaker is describing—such as indicating size, shape, motion or spatial relationships—had the strongest positive effect. They improved audience comprehension and made speakers seem more knowledgeable.
  • Highlighters and random movements: Simple pointing gestures (highlighters) and aimless, purposeless hand motions produced little to no persuasive benefit.
“Illustrators can help make the content easier to understand because we’re delivering the same information in two modes: visual and verbal,” Zhou explained. “When a person uses their hands to visually illustrate what they’re talking about, the audience perceives that this person has more knowledge and can make things easier to understand.”

Why it matters

This is the first large-scale study of gestures made possible by recent advances in AI. The findings matter for marketers, presenters, influencers, salespeople and anyone who wants to communicate more persuasively. Intentional, illustrative hand movements can reinforce your message; random or purely pointing motions are unlikely to add value.

Practical tips

  • Use gestures that mirror or visualize your words—show size, direction, or sequence.
  • Avoid repetitive, purposeless movements that distract from your message.
  • Practice gestures so they feel natural and synchronized with your speech.

“Sometimes we just move our hands without a purpose. It’s a habit,” Zhou said. “But if you pay more attention and understand the impact, it can make a big difference.”

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