Conversation analysis
used commonly in sociology (in ethnomethodoloy)
Can be used to analyze transcripts. In analyzing the transcript, you will be able to see how they “cope” with what they are working with.
If you can understand the normal human-human conversation methods, you can avoid blunders when you design.
USE the theory to design.
3 Ways it can be useful:
- Analyze transcripts
- Guide Design
- Drive Design Itself
Guiding vs. Driving Design
Guiding design is a problem solving tool.
Driving design is more of applying and understanding the theory THROUGH design.
Basic conversation structure
- Turn Taking
- Utterance (Each time a person speaks.)
- Context
- Internal Context – Depends on earlier utterance
- External Context – Depends on what is going on with queues outside the text
Speach Act Theory
Example of:
Shaowen: What time is it?
Brandon: 10:17
The question initiates the action if done in public.
Breakdown vs. Dialogue Focus
In conversation, a breakdown can happen when someone changes the subject. Its easy to lose track of the dialogue focus due to this.
- Substantive
- Annotative
- Procedural