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 qualitative aspects of head movement behavior calls for recording detailed transcriptions of behavior. These records are a prerequisite for investigating the function and meaning of head movement patterns. A method for directly collecting data on head movement behavior is introduced. Using small ultrasonic 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. These data are used for further calculations concerning the angular orientation of the head and the direction, size, and speed of head movements (in rotational, lateral, and sagittal dimensions). Further analyses determine relevant changes in movements, identify segments of movements, and classify the quantifications of movement patterns. The measured patterns of nonverbal behavior can be accurately related to features of verbal communication and other time-related variables (e.g., psychophysiological measures). To estimate the possible meanings of behavioral patterns, a heuristic is proposed that includes the situational context as the basis of interpretation. Movement Notation: "Indirect" Observation or "Direct" MeasurementConducting empirical research in the area of nonverbal behavior requires reliable methods of measuring the behavior evidenced by participants in a conversation. Both Wallbott (1980) and Rosenfeld (1982) distinguish between two different approaches to measuring nonverbal behavior. First, indirect, or observational, methods rely on subjectively applied operational definitions to identify parameters of nonverbal behavior. Since the researchers are usually the ones who do the observing, they are an integral part of the coding process, which is influenced by their interpretations of the nonverbal aspects of behavior. The researchers' ability to judge nonverbal behavior appropriately can be improved with the help of methods that ensure interpretations that are more objective. For instance, when one is videotaping nonverbal behavior in human social interaction, reference points (a coordinate system with adjustable x/y-axes) can be assigned to compare definable points of the body frame-by-frame and to code position changes in quantitative terms (see Wallbott, 1980).

Traditional methods of analyzing human peripheral blood flow (PBF) do not account for its continuous nature or small-scale variation, Sequel transformation is presented as a new methodology for measuring these variations. This analysis generates a richer record of aspects of activation of the autonomous nervous system than traditional interbeat-interval (IBI) measurement. Presumably, in addition to heartbeat (i.e., IBI), other information can be extracted that is consistent with the influence of several physiological and psychological factors. This kind of variation is reflected in the PBF signal. After determining and extracting relevant events from vascular volume data generated by sequel transformation, we demonstrate the use of template analysis to analyze patterns of events as time courses of activation. All procedures are included in the computer program VASC Analyzer.

An important basis for this work is the vulnerability model proposed by Zubin & Spring (1977). They integrated findings on schizophrenia in a second-order model showing the relationship between vulnerability to schizophrenia and stress, adaptation to stress, and especially coping breakdown, i.e. the incapacity to adapt in the shorter or longer term. Thus, given a certain degree of vulnerability, stress, and how the affected individual copes with it are the critical factors for the occurrence of a schizophrenic episode. The work presented here describes an empirical investigation of these two components.

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