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Conversation analysis as a technique for exploring the dynamics of a mediated interview
Deborah Friedland1, Claire Penn
1Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.
International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders
|February 6, 2003
Summary
Conversation analysis (CA) reveals key factors for successful medico-legal interviews. Equal roles and interpreter familiarity facilitate communication, while differing agendas and interruptions hinder it.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Communication Studies
- Sociology
Background:
- Mediated medico-legal interviews are crucial for information gathering.
- Effective communication is vital for accurate legal and medical assessments.
- Conversation Analysis (CA) offers a detailed methodology for examining interactional dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify facilitators and inhibitors of successful mediated medico-legal interviews.
- To apply Conversation Analysis (CA) for microscopic examination of interview dynamics.
- To understand the role of interpreters and cultural brokerage in these interviews.
Main Methods:
- A 45-minute medico-legal interview was audio-recorded.
- The interview involved parents, a speech pathologist, and an interpreter.
- Conversation Analysis (CA) principles were applied for detailed transcription and analysis.
Main Results:
- Facilitators included equal participant roles, code-switching, interviewer-interpreter familiarity, and repetition.
- Inhibitors comprised differing participant agendas, complex repair sequences, and interruptions.
- Cultural brokerage emerged as a neutral factor, neither facilitating nor inhibiting.
Conclusions:
- Microscopic analysis using CA provides valuable insights into mediated interview dynamics.
- Specific interactional features can significantly impact the success of medico-legal interviews.
- Understanding these dynamics is essential for improving communication in cross-cultural legal and medical settings.