Classifying Conversational Entrainment of Speech Behavior: An Expanded Framework and Review

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Psychology
• Communication Studies

Background:

• Conversational entrainment, also known as alignment or accommodation, describes similarity in communicative behavior between interlocutors.
• Existing literature features highly variable terminology, definitions, and measurement approaches for entrainment.
• Current categorization frameworks for entrainment research are not comprehensive, particularly regarding specific measurement techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose an expanded framework for categorizing all measures of speech behavior entrainment.
• To refine and clarify an earlier entrainment categorization framework for improved accessibility.
• To review current literature and demonstrate its fit within the proposed framework.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of conversational entrainment studies.
• Development and refinement of a categorization framework for entrainment measures.
• Analysis of existing entrainment measurement approaches within the proposed framework.

Main Results:

• An expanded and clarified framework for categorizing speech entrainment measures is proposed.
• The framework accommodates a wider range of measurement approaches than previous systems.
• Current entrainment research literature is mapped onto the proposed categorization system.

Conclusions:

• The proposed framework offers a unified system for organizing and understanding conversational entrainment research.
• Consistent terminology and a comprehensive framework are crucial for the assimilation of knowledge in this expanding field.
• The framework can guide future research and facilitate the integration of diverse entrainment measurement techniques.