Head bobble
The head bobble, head wobble, or Indian head shake refers to a common gesture found in South Asian cultures, most notably in India. The motion usually consists of a side-to-side tilting of the head in arcs along the coronal plane.[1] A form of nonverbal communication, it may mean "Yes", "Good", "OK" or "I understand", depending on the context.[2][3]
In India the gesture is common in the southern parts, but may not be used consistently all around the country.[4][5][6]
In India, this particular headshake can also be acknowledgement or encouragement. In the Western world, people often use a nod for the same purpose. It is not always associated with yes or no, and is actually used in place of no when the person doesn't want to say no [citation needed].
In Bulgaria, this is the equivalent of a nod meaning yes, whereas a quick nod up means no.
See also
References
- ^ Kavita Pillay (30 Jan 2006), How to Tilt Your Head Like an Indian, World Hum
- ^ Seth Stevenson (27 Sept 2004), "Actually Liking Stuff", Trying Really Hard To Like India, Slate
{{citation}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Sharell Cook, What is the Meaning of the Indian Head Wobble?, About.com
- ^ Craig Storti (2007), "The Indian "Yes" Head Gesture", Speaking of India: Bridging the communication gap when working with Indians, Intercultural Press
- ^ Chad Lewis (2008), Successful Communication in Multicultural Environments (PDF), Intercultural Focus
{{citation}}: External link in|publisher= - ^ Charul Jain and Madhurita Choudhary (Jan 2011), "Actions speak louder than words: Non-verbal mis/communication" (PDF), Journal of Media and Communication Studies
External links
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