TITLE:
What Do Car Horns Say? An Overview of the Non-Verbal Communication of Horn Honking
AUTHORS:
Jathla A. Mahmood
KEYWORDS:
Car Horns, Channels, Communication, Culture, Horn Honking, Non-Verbal
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.9 No.8,
August
26,
2021
ABSTRACT: The current study aims at shedding light on horn honking as an
effective channel of non-verbal communication that expresses far more meanings
than just aggression and road-related messages. An overview of the use of horn honking in ten
different countries is given. The overview shows that horn honking has
indeed proven itself as cultural phenomenon essential in the daily lives of
many people. The car horn is much more than a mere tool of warning for danger
or complaining about some wrong. Many drivers use horn honking as a
language, Morse codes, or a medium of communication to express a variety of
meanings some of which reinforce social relationships. The overview is
discussed from a cultural point of view. A recommendation for more attention to
this neglected channel has been made. It needs to be listed as a channel of
non-verbal communication or at least be considered as a sub channel of the physical environment.