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Conversational turn-taking violations in mother-child interaction
J L Bedrosian1, S K Wanska, K M Sykes
1Speech and Hearing Center, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506.
Journal of Speech and Hearing Research
|March 1, 1988
Summary
Mothers interrupt children more often during conversations, and children are more likely to stop talking when interrupted. Mothers may not fully support children's conversational turn-taking development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Linguistic Pragmatics
- Child Language Acquisition
Background:
- Conversational turn-taking is crucial for effective communication.
- Understanding how mothers and children manage simultaneous speech (overlaps) provides insight into early pragmatic development.
- Previous research highlights the importance of repair mechanisms in maintaining conversational flow.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine conversational turn-taking violations and repair strategies in mother-child interactions.
- To analyze the characteristics of simultaneous talking (overlaps) between mothers and children.
- To assess mothers' facilitation of children's turn-taking skills.
Main Methods:
- Thirty mother-child dyads (children aged 2:10 to 6:3) were videotaped during free play.
- Interactions were analyzed for overlaps, focusing on general characteristics, participant involvement, repair mechanisms, topic, and communicative intent.
- Quantification of interruptions and response strategies was performed.
Main Results:
- 246 overlaps were identified; most were single, nonconsecutive, and internal.
- Mothers interrupted significantly more than children.
- Children were more likely to cease talking when interrupted by mothers compared to mothers interrupted by children; topics were generally maintained.
Conclusions:
- Mothers exhibit more turn-taking violations (interruptions) than children in this dyadic interaction.
- Children employ specific repair strategies, like discontinuing speech, more frequently when interrupted by mothers.
- Mothers may not be as supportive of children's turn-taking skills as they are of other pragmatic abilities.