Validating dynamic time warping as a measure of gesture form similarity - Behavior Research Methods Dynamic time warping (DTW) is a well-known algorithm used to assess the similarity between signals of varying lengths. Initially developed for automatic speech recognition, DTW has found applications in psycholinguistics, particularly in analyzing gesture form similarity. An open question in this domain is how effectively DTW captures gesture form similarity. Here, we validate DTW against human annotations of gesture form similarity across two multimodal interaction corpora and explore its utility as an automatic, continuous measure of gesture form similarity. Our findings reveal weak to moderate correlations between DTW distance and the number of similar gesture features – such as handshape, movement, orientation, and position – suggesting that DTW serves as a useful proxy for gesture form similarity. Additionally, we highlight the importance of qualitative analysis of raw data and DTW predictions in enhancing DTW’s predictive accuracy. Our study offers a rigorous validation of DTW as a measure of gesture form similarity and presents a detailed framework for preprocessing motion tracking data and calculating DTW distance. While none of the methods is perfect, the combination of automatic and manual measures provides a comprehensive approach to understanding and measuring gesture form similarity.

Validating dynamic time warping as a measure of gesture form similarity. New paper by @shoakamine.bsky.social , @dingemansemark.bsky.social & @asliozyurek.bsky.social
doi.org/10.3758/s13428-026-02975-5

Parental gestural math input and children's math skills: An intervention study. New paper by Begüm Yılmaz & al. with @dilaykaradoller.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2026.101951
Paper: tinyurl.com/d9xkyej5

Closing editorial for the special issue of Cortex: Neurocognitive perspectives on discourse and connected language. Final version by Brielle C. Stark, @andreaeyleen.bsky.social & Jamie Reilly
doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2026.03.008

Quantifier-Specific Usage Patterns Shape Learning—A Corpus Analysis on Universal Quantifiers in English and Dutch Child-Directed Language - Mieke Sarah Slim, Elizabeth Tobyn, Caroline F. Rowland, 2026 Quantifiers specify semantic relations between sentence constituents. Due to their meanings, they form a learning challenge for children. This challenge is made...

Quantifier-specific usage patterns shape learning—A corpus analysis on universal quantifiers in English and Dutch child-directed language. Final version by @miekeslim.bsky.social , Elizabeth Tobyn & @carorowland.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1177/01427237251385837

How Vietnamese tackle Japanese Kanji: Key factors behind handwriting competence in Japanese. New paper by Katsuo Tamaoka & al. with Rinus Verdonschot
doi.org/10.3389/flang.2026.1705688

Gesture as a mechanism of change in the interface between spatial language and cognitive development. New paper by @dilaykaradoller.bsky.social , @ercenurunal.bsky.social , @beyzasumer.bsky.social , Demet Özer & @asliozyurek.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2026.101694

Repetition leads to short-term reduction of word frequency and name agreement effects: Evidence from a Dutch two-session picture naming experiment. Final version by Caitlin Decuyper, Ruth E. Corps and Antje S Meyer
doi.org/10.1177/17470218251365517

Multiple repetitions lead to the long-term elimination of the word frequency effect. Final version by Ruth Corps and Antje Meyer
doi.org/10.1037/xlm0001486
Paper: tinyurl.com/4d5e5v4w

Patterns of language and visuospatial Lateralisation in three-year-old children. Final version by Josephine Quin-Conroy & al. with @profsimonfisher.bsky.social @clydefrancks.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2026.109434

With a call for papers now open, the initiative highlights a growing shift in AI research: moving beyond text-only systems toward richer, embodied interaction that mirrors real-world communication.

Learn more and get involved here: mintworkshop.github.io/2026/

The workshop brings together researchers from #NLP, #computervision, #HCI, #robotics, and #cognitivescience to explore the next generation of human-centered #AI. [2/3]

MINT 2026 is a new workshop dedicated to multimodal, face-to-face AI interaction. Co-located with hashtag#EMNLP 2026 in Budapest (24–29 October 2026), MINT focuses on how humans really communicate: through not just words, but also gestures, gaze, and facial expressions. [1/3]

Conserved sleep disturbances in FOXP1 syndrome originate from developmental dysregulation of peptidergic signaling, New paper by Mireia Coll-Tané & al. with @profsimonfisher.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1172/JCI193475

Student job alert in Nijmegen!

Are you a native Dutch-speaking student at Radboud University with a passion for language, AI, or psychology?

We are hiring 2 Student Assistants. www.mpi.nl/career-educa...

More than words: Effects of grammaticality and lexical surprisal in self-paced reading. New paper by @sophieslaats.bsky.social , Antje Meyer, and @andreaeyleen.bsky.social.
doi.org/10.1016/j.co....

Closing Editorial For the Special Issue of Cortex: Neurocognitive Perspectives on Discourse and Connected Language. New publication by Brielle Stark, @andreaeyleen.bsky.social and Jamie Reilly.
doi.org/10.1016/j.co...

Linguistic structure and language familiarity sharpen phoneme encoding in the brain. New paper by @tezcanfiliz.bsky.social , @sannetenoever.bsky.social, Fan Bai, Noémie te Rietmolen and @andreaeyleen.bsky.social. doi.org/10.1038/s420....

How bilingualism influences language processing in the developing brain: A systematic review of the neurobiological evidence. New paper by Chih Yeh , @carorowland.bsky.social & Sergio Miguel Pereira Soares
doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2026.101262

Cognate effects on bilingual lexical–semantic processing in children: Insights from ERPs. New paper by Chih Yeh & al. With @carorowland.bsky.social , Sergio Miguel Pereira Soares.
doi.org/10.3390/bs16020294

Disfluencies reduce the effect of uh… word surprisal during narrative comprehension. New paper by @laura-giglio.bsky.social , Peter Hagoort & Eleanor Huizeling
doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2026.02.017

Patterns of Language and Visuospatial Lateralisation in Three-Year-Old Children. New paper by Josephine Quin-Conroy et al. with @profsimonfisher.bsky.social and @clydefrancks.bsky.social. doi.org/10.1016/j.ne...

Search Efficiency Drives Reference Production Across Modalities, But Colour Is Special Abstract. When speakers refer to objects in the world, they frequently overinform. Contrary to classical theories in linguistics, we hypothesise that overinformativeness is an efficient means of facil...

Search efficiency drives reference production across modalities, but colour is special. New paper by Merrick Giles, Paula Rubio-Fernandez, & Francis Mollica
doi.org/10.1162/OPMI.a.337

Linguistic experience and processing speed differentially affect lexical retrieval and structural assembly during language production - Memory & Cognition Our ability to produce words and sentences relies on lexical retrieval and structural assembly processes, which are supported by domain-general skills. In the present study, we adopted an individual-d...

Linguistic experience and processing speed differentially affect lexical retrieval and structural assembly during language production. New paper by @florian-hintz.bsky.social & Mohammad Momenian
doi.org/10.3758/s13421-026-01861-x

Structural and functional brain asymmetry in relation to heterogeneous causes of situs inversus totalis - Brain Structure and Function Brain Structure and Function - Various aspects of brain organization differ between the left and right hemispheres. Clues to the developmental origins of these asymmetries may be gained through...

Structural and functional brain asymmetry in relation to heterogeneous causes of situs inversus totalis. New paper by @meng-yun.bsky.social & al. with Nicole Ying Ting Ng, Else Eising, @profsimonfisher.bsky.social , @clydefrancks.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1007/s00429-026-03098-5

How to sign up:

1. Register as a participant via www.mpi.nl/ppregeng
2. Then email experimenten@mpi.nl so we can add you to this experiment

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For more information: please email experimenten@mpi.nl

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Participating will take you only about 50 minutes. It's fully online, so participate whenever and wherever it suits you. Compensation: €10. Please note: audio will be recorded (quick microphone test included).

- are an English native speaker (age 18–35)
- have normal or corrected-to-normal vision and hearing
- don't have language or speech disorders

In this study, you’ll:

- read and repeat short sentences
- describe pictures out loud
- help us understand how words are selected during speech production

We’re looking for English native speakers (age 18–35) to take part in a short and fun online, PAID language experiment!

You can participate anytime, anywhere, if you:
(read comments)

Participating will take you only about 50 minutes. Compensation: €10.

Read how to sign up in the comments. For more information: please email experimenten@mpi.nl. Please note: audio will be recorded (quick microphone test included).

Feel free to share this with anyone who might be interested!

You can participate anytime, anywhere, if you:

- are an English native speaker (age 18–35)
- have normal or corrected-to-normal vision and hearing
- don't have language or speech disorders