Measurement and meaning of head movements in everyday face-to-face communicative interaction

Methodological approaches in which data on nonverbal behavior are collected usually involve interpretative methods in which raters must identify a set of defined categories of behavior. However, present knowledge about the qu alitative aspects of head movement behavior calls for recording detailed tr anscriptions of behavior. These records are a prerequisite for investigatin g the function and meaning of head movement patterns. A method for directly collecting data on head movement behavior is introduced. Using small ultra sonic transducers, which are attached to various parts of an index person's body (head and shoulders), a microcomputer determines receiver-transducer distances. Three-dimensional positions are calculated by triangulation. The se data are used for further calculations concerning the angular orientatio n of the head and the direction, size, and speed of head movements (in rota tional, lateral, and sagittal dimensions). Further analyses determine relev ant changes in movements, identify segments of movements, and classify the quantifications of movement patterns. The measured patterns of nonverbal be havior can be accurately related to features of verbal communication and ot her time-related variables (e.g., psychophysiological measures). To estimat e the possible meanings of behavioral patterns, a heuristic is proposed tha t includes the situational context as the basis of interpretation.