Conversational resources for situated action

Published 1 January 1989Open access

Dávid Fröhlich, Paul Luff

DOI10.1145/67449.67498

Source URL

Citations23

SJR quartileQ1

SJR score1.61

SNIP1.17

View PDF

TL;DR

A scheme for the local management of dialogues based on the findings of conversation analysis is outlined, which makes available a variety of communicative resources to both user and system.

Abstract

Suchman (1987) has recently drawn attention to the situated nature of human social action and its implications for the design of interactive computer systems. In particular, she has highlighted the shortcomings of globally managing human computer dialogues by matching user actions to some idealised plan for carrying out a task. In this paper we outline a scheme for the local management of dialogues based on the findings of conversation analysis. The scheme makes available a variety of communicative resources to both user and system, including the ability to give and take turns at talk, to initiate and carry out repair work, and to continue or change the topic of conversation. An implementation of the scheme in a welfare rights Advice System is described.

Keywords

Computer ScienceArts and Humanities

LanguageA simplest systematics for the organization of turn-taking for conversation

11,020 Citations1974Harvey Sacks, Emanuel A. Schegloff +1 more

On the basis of research using audio recordings of naturally occurring conversations, the chapter highlights the organization of turn taking for conversation and extracts some of the interest that organization has.

LanguageThe preference for self-correction in the organization of repair in conversation

4,555 Citations1977Emanuel A. Schegloff, Gail Jefferson +1 more

SemioticaOpening up Closings

4,230 Citations1973Emanuel A. Schegloff, Harvey Sacks

Some of the ways that have been developed for dealing with closings in conversation are presented and an attempt to specify the domain for which the closing problems, as they have been posed, seem apposite is closed.

Artificial IntelligenceCooperative responses from a portable natural language query system

157 Citations1982S. Jerrold Kaplan

CO-OP is a natural language database query system that provides conversationally cooperative responses to natural language requests for data retrieval and operates with a typical CODASYL database management system.

Beyond Question-Answering.

143 Citations1981Philip R. Cohen, C. Raymond Perrault +1 more

It is demonstrated, using protocols of actual interactions with a question-answering system, that users of these systems expect to engage in a conversation whose coherence is manifested in the interpendence of their (often unstated) plans and goals with those of the system.

International Journal of Man-Machine StudiesSteps toward graceful interaction in spoken and written man-machine communication

103 Citations1983Philip J. Hayes, D. Raj Reddy

This paper proposes a decomposition of graceful interaction into a number of relatively independent skills: skills involved in parsing elliptical, fragmented, and otherwise ungrammatical input; in ensuring robust communication; in explaining abilities and limitations, actions and the motives behind them; in keeping track of the focus of attention of a dialogue.

International Journal of Man-Machine StudiesFace-to-face guidance of university computer users—II. Characterizing advisory interactions

45 Citations1980M. J. Coombs, Jane Alty

An investigation to ascertain if face-to-face advisory service interactions in a university computer centre can be regarded as an identifiable category of face- to-face encounter found that the very people who would benefit from explanation and sensitive guidance do not receive it.