Head movement and gender differences following the onset of simultaneous speech

Abstract

Head movement surrounding simultaneous speech and smooth turn exchanges was analyzed in mixed‐gender and same‐gender dyads. Three head movement dimensions (sagittal, rotational and lateral) were coded, at half second intervals. Significant differences were found for both head movement mobility and complexity following simultaneous speech and smooth turn exchange. Contrary to previous research, however, no significant differences were found between female and male subjects or due to dyad gender composition. This study demonstrates that a combination of Time Series Notation and linguistic transcription offers new possibilities for the study of conversational behavior.