ABSTRACT

Conversation is flexible enough to be conducted with varying numbers of individuals, but most conversation is dyadic. Is the prevalence of dyadic focal participation frameworks facilitated by structures of conversation? Using video recordings of spontaneous naturally occurring conversations, I explore multiperson interactions focusing on how structures of turn taking, sequence organization, storytelling, and speaker gaze facilitate or inhibit the inclusion of multiple individuals in conversation. As I show, because our system favors dyadic participation through turn allocation and sequence organization, sustaining focal triadic or multiparty participation frameworks requires more interactional work than sustaining a dyadic focal participation framework. However, serially dyadic participation, which keeps dyads shifting, and story- and joke telling facilitate the participation of multiple individuals. Although conversational structures can be adapted to partition focal participation as dyadic or multiparty on a moment-by-moment basis, the structures generally facilitate dyadic focal participation. Data are in American English.

摘要

对话足够灵活，可以与不同数量的个人进行对话，但是大多数对话都是二进位的。对话结构是否促进了二元焦点参与框架的普及？通过使用自然发生的自然对话的录像，我探索了多人互动，重点关注转弯结构，顺序组织，讲故事和说话者注视的结构如何促进或禁止在对话中包含多个人。正如我所展示的，由于我们的系统通过轮流分配和顺序组织来支持二元参与，因此维持三元或三方参与的焦点框架比维持二元参与的框架需要更多的交互工作。但是，连续二分参与，使二元组不断变化，讲故事和讲笑话有助于多个人的参与。尽管对话结构可以适应性地以瞬间或多方的方式将焦点参与划分为二进或多方，但这些结构通常有助于二进焦点的参与。数据使用美式英语。