Abstract
The current study used video clips of bowing actions depicted by three-dimensional computer graphics. The bend angle (15° and 45°) and duration of the bent posture (0–4.5 seconds) were varied. In the first experiment, the participants rated their subjective impressions of the bowing actions. The bowing actions that were made at a 45° angle and held for more than 1 second were rated as courteous. Bowing motions held for shorter durations were rated as smooth. In the second experiment, the participants evaluated whether a bowing action was appropriate for a specific social context. The participants judged 15°-angle bowing of no / very short duration appropriate for greeting, 45°-angle bowing of no / short duration appropriate for gratitude, and 45°-angle bowing for about 2 seconds appropriate for an apology. The results of these two experiments are discussed in terms of how angle and duration influence the impressions and evaluations of the appropriateness of a bowing action.
