Repeated use of request for confirmation in atypical interaction

Area of Science:

• Social interaction research
• Communication studies
• Disability studies

Background:

• Facilitating social participation for individuals with cognitive and communicative impairments is a significant challenge.
• Existing interactional methods may not adequately support or accurately assess the communicative competence of impaired participants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate a specific interactional method designed to enable participation of individuals with cognitive/communicative impairments.
• To analyze the function and impact of repeated confirmation requests in these interactions.
• To examine whether this method inadvertently focuses on the deficit competence of impaired participants.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing conversation analytic (CA) methods to scrutinize interactional sequences.
• Analyzing close-ended questions designed by non-impaired co-participants to project speaker and response type.
• Examining the practice of requesting repeated confirmations of answers provided by impaired participants.

Main Results:

• The method involves non-impaired partners posing questions that specify the next speaker (impaired participant) and expected response type.
• Repeated confirmation requests following the impaired participant's answer were analyzed for their interactional achievements.
• The study suggests this practice may highlight the deficit competence of the impaired participant, particularly when initial questions establish understanding of prior actions.

Conclusions:

• The investigated method, while aiming to facilitate participation, may inadvertently orient towards the perceived deficit competence of individuals with impairments.
• Conversation analysis reveals the nuanced ways interactional practices can shape the assessment of competence in social interactions.
• Further research is needed to refine interactional strategies that genuinely empower and accurately reflect the abilities of participants with cognitive and communicative impairments.