The Assertoric Nod: Non-concordant uses in responses to polar questions in English conversation

Abstract

This article introduces the ‘Assertoric Nod’ – a category of head nodding distinguished by its physical shape and manner of execution – and explores a previously-uninvestigated phenomenon of the interactional use of head nodding. Our analysis focuses on the simultaneous co-production of the assertoric nod and a non-concordant negatively-polarized verbal response to polar questions in English. We propose that unlike other forms of nodding behavior, the assertoric nod conveys more than simple affirmation and serves to embody an ‘assertoric’ position that the speaker is holding concerning the matter at hand. We demonstrate that, with the dual embodied response package of this kind, the speaker not only rejects the question’s proposition but implicitly challenges the askability of the question. Our findings shed light on the complexity of contingencies involved in the action formation of responding actions while providing a window into how participants manage multiple issues of sense-making and stance display.