The functions of active listening responses

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Linguistics
• Sociology

Background:

• Active listening responses, often termed 'continuers', are thought to prolong interlocutor turns.
• Previous research on the impact of these non-interruptive cues on speech duration has yielded conflicting results.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the contradictory findings regarding the effect of active listening responses on speech duration.
• To examine how conversational context influences the function of active listening cues.

Main Methods:

• An experiment was conducted with 32 German participants.
• Participants' speech duration was measured individually in simulated 'explaining' and 'socializing' contexts.
• A confederate provided active listening responses during the interactions.

Main Results:

• The effect of active listening responses on speech duration was significantly influenced by the conversational context.
• Participants spoke longer when the confederate used active listening cues during socializing.
• This prolonging effect was not observed in the explanatory context.

Conclusions:

• Active listening responses do not universally prolong speech duration.
• The function of active listening cues is context-dependent, impacting conversational dynamics differently in social versus explanatory situations.