RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VOCALIZATIONS AND HEAD NODS AS LISTENER RESPONSES

AN EARLIER STUDY BY A. T. DITTMANN AND L. G. LLEWELLYN (SEE 41:9) SHOWED THAT LISTENERS IN CONVERSATIONS INSERT BRIEF RESPONSES (MM-HMM, I SEE) ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY AT THE ENDS OF RHYTHMICAL UNITS IN THE TALKER'S SPEECH. THESE VOCAL RESPONSES WERE COMPARED WITH A VISIBLE ONE, THE HEAD NOD, AND IT WAS FOUND THAT THE 2 OCCURRED TOGETHER MORE THAN THAN PREDICTED BY CHANCE. CONTENT ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT THEY USUALLY SERVE AN INTERPERSONAL FUNCTION: THE WISH OF THE LISTENER TO SPEAK OR THE WISH OF THE TALKER FOR FEEDBACK. WHEN THEY DID OCCUR TOGETHER, NODS WERE FOUND TO PRECEDE THE VOCAL RESPONSE SLIGHTLY. APPARENTLY, THE LISTENER MUST HOLD A VOCAL RESPONSE POLITELY UNTIL THE SPEAKER HAS FINISHED A UNIT, BUT MAY NOD BEFORE THEN. SS WERE 9 MALE AND 11 FEMALE COLLEGE STUDENTS.