conversation and preference structure

Done by: Iman Alme’tani

chapter 8

The term 'interaction' could actually apply to a very large number of quite different social encounters, such as teacher-student and doctor-patient interactions in which there is interpersonal exchange of talk.

The kind of talk is likely to differ according to the different contexts of interaction. However, the structure of the talk, the basic pattern of “I speak-- you speak --I speak-- you speak” will derive from that fundamental kind of interaction we acquire first and use most often. This is the structure of conversation.

Conversation analysis There are many metaphors used to describe

conversation structure. The most widely used analytic approach is based on an analogy with the workings of a market economy. In this market, there is a scarce commodity called floor.

Floor The right to speak Turn having control of the scarce

commodity at any time turn-taking when control is not fixed

in advance, anyone can attempt to

get control.

Turn-taking operates according to a local management system which is known to all members of the same social group.

Local management system is a set of conventions for getting turns, keeping them, or giving them away. This system is needed most at those points where there is a possible change in who has the turn.

Any possible change of turn point is called Transition relevance place (TRP). Within any social group, there will be features of talk (or absence of talk) typically associated with a TPR.

PAUSES , OVERLAPS , AND BACKCHANNELS

When two people attempt to have a conversation and discover that there is no ‘flow’, or smooth rhythm to their transitions, much more is communicated than is said. There is a sense of distance, an absence of familiarity or ease.

Short pauses ---> hesitations Long pauses ---> silences

ATTRIBUTABLE SILENCE It is the silence attributed to the second

speaker who is given the turn but does not speak, as in [2] below.

[2] Jan : Dave I’m going to the store. (2 seconds) Jan : Dave? (2 seconds) Jan : Dave – is something wrong? Dave: What? What’s wrong? Jan : Never mind.

OVERLAP

Overlap occurs when both speakers try to speak at the same time. According to the local management system, only one person speaks at a time. Thus, overlap can be a serious problem.

TYPES OF OVERLAP 1- it can be part of a difficult first

conversation with an unfamiliar person (cf. [1] p.73).

2- it can be an expression of solidarity and closeness (cf. [3] p. 74).

3- it can be competition/interruption (cf. [4] p. 74).

FLOOR HOLDING DEVICES The most obvious markers of a TRP are

the end of a structural unit (a phrase or clause) and a pause.

Those holding the floor in a competitive environment will avoid providing TRPs by avoiding an open pause at the end of a syntactic unit ([5]).

Or by indicating that there is a larger structure to their turn by beginning with expressions of the type shown in ([6]).

Backchannel

By:Israa Rawah

What is a Backchannel?

A backchannel (or listener's feedback) is the response of a listener during a conversation. These responses can be spoken or non-verbal, done at the same time in a conversation .

Backchannels are feedback given while someone else is talking, to show interest, attention or a willingness to keep listening. Backchannels are done sometimes with words, but more often with gesture, gaze, and backchannel utterances are typically short such as uh-huh.

Non-lexical backchannels

.1Typically, these are a vocalized word-less sounds or grunts that have little or no intrinsic meaning. For example, “Uh-huh” or “Mmm”. They also include head nodding and other facial or bodily features with no utterances at all.

Conversational Style

By: Salma MansoorMasha’il Al-Qurashi

High involvement style: when participation in a conversation is very active, that speaking rate is fast, with no pause between turns, and with some overlap or even completion of the other’s turn.

High considerateness style: when speakers use a slower rate, expect longer pauses between turns, do not overlap and avoid interruption or completion of the other’s turn.

If two persons from these two different styles get into a conversation, the talk tends to be one-sided.

The high involvement style speaker would overwhelm the other.

Misunderstanding might happen, as the first style might think the second style person is shy, boring or stupid. In return, he is likely to be viewed as noisy, pushy, domineering, selfish, and even tiresome

Adjacency pair

There are many automatic patterns in the

structure of conversation. Some clear

examples are the greetings and goodbyes,

shown in the following examples.

Example:

A: Hello. B: Hello

A: How are you? B: I'm fine, thank you.

A: See ya later! B: bye!

These automatic sequences are called adjacency pairs.

They consist of a first part and a second part produced by

different speakers. Other types of adjacency pairs are a

question-answer sequence, a thanking-response and a

request-accept.

Insertion sequence:

It often happens that a question-answer sequence will be

delayed while another question-answer intervenes. The

sequence will then take the form Q1-Q2-A2-A1, with the

middle pair (Q2-A2) being called insertion sequence

Agent: Do you want the early flight? (= Q1)

Client: What time does it arrive? (= Q2)

Agent: Nine forty-five. (= A2)

Client: Yeah-that’s great. (= A1)

Other forms of social actions are accomplished within

this pattern such as making a request-accepting the

request.

A: Could you please bring me some coffee? (Q1= request)

B: With sugar or no sugar? (Q2)

A: No sugar. (A2)

B: Right away. (A1= acceptance)

Delay of acceptance caused by the insertion sequence

indicates unavailability of the immediate expected response.

Preference Structure

• Prepared by:-

Aziza Alwani

Manal Alshmrani

• Adjacency pairs represent social actions, and not all social actions are equal when they occur as second parts of some pairs, e.g., a first part request expects an acceptance.

• Acceptance is structurally more likely than refusal. This structural likelihood is called preference

Preference Structure

Preference structure divides second parts into PREFERRED and DISPREFERRED social

acts

First part

The preferred is the structurally expected next act and the dispreferred is the

structurally unexpected next act.

Second part

Preferred Dispreferred

Assessment Isn't that really great? agree Yes, it is disagreeInvitation Why not join us tonight? accept I’d love to refuseoffer Want some coffee? accept Yes, please declineproposal Maybe we could go for a walk. agree That'd be great disagreerequest Can you help me? accept Sure refuse

Silence is always a dispreferred response, leading to a revision of the first part to get a second part that is not silence. (Non-response communicates that the speaker is not in a position to provide the preferred response)Sandy: But I'm sure they'll have good

food there (1.6 seconds)

Sandy: Hmm—I guess the food isn't greatJack: Nah—people mostly go for the music

Silence is risky as it may give the impression of non-participation in the conversationalStructure. Speakers often signal that they are producing the marked, dispreferred structure

Dispreferred second part indicates something very marked as if it is difficult to disagree or correct the other, as shown in the following example.

Cindy: So chiropodists do hands I guessJulie: Em - well - out there - they they mostly work on people's feet

- initial hesitation: delay (em + pause)- preface: well- appeal to the views of others: out there- stumbling repetition: they they- relativizing statement/mitigation: mostly

Hesitations and prefaces are also found in dispreferred second part to invitations.

Becky: Come over for some coffee laterWally: Oh - eh - I'd love to - but you see - I - I'm supposed to get this finished - you know

- hesitation: oh - eh- preface: I'd love to (token acceptance)- stumbling repetition: I - I'm- account: I'm supposed to get this finished- invocation of understanding: but you see, you know

How to do a dispreferred second part?delay/hesitate pause; er; em; ahpreface well; ohexpress doubt I'm not sure; I don't knowtoken acceptance that's great; I'd love toapology I'm sorry; what a pitymention obligation I must do X; I'm expected in Yappeal for understanding you see; you knowmake it non-personal everbody else; out theregive an account too much work; no time leftuse mitigators really; mostly; sort of; kindahedge the negative I guess not; not possible

*Dispreferreds take more time and language than preferred *More language creates more distance between first and second part

*Preferred represents closeness and quick connection

*Dispreferred represents distance and lack of connection

*Participants in a conversation try to avoid creating contexts for dispreferreds by using different devices such as using pre-sequences