A network model of interpersonal alignment in dialog

In dyadic communication, both interlocutors adapt to each other linguistically, that is, they align interpersonally. In this article, we develop a framework for modeling interpersonal alignment in terms of the structural similarity of the interlocutors’ dialog lexica. This is done by means of so-called two-layer time-aligned network series, that is, a time-adjusted graph model. The graph model is partitioned into two layers, so that the interlocutors’ lexica are captured as subgraphs of an encompassing dialog graph. Each constituent network of the series is updated utterance-wise. Thus, both the inherent bipartition of dyadic conversations and their gradual development are modeled. The notion of alignment is then operationalized within a quantitative model of structure formation based on the mutual information of the subgraphs that represent the interlocutor’s dialog lexica. By adapting and further developing several models of complex network theory, we show that dialog lexica evolve as a novel class of graphs that have not been considered before in the area of complex (linguistic) networks. Additionally, we show that our framework allows for classifying dialogs according to their alignment status. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first approach to measuring alignment in communication that explores the similarities of graph-like cognitive representations. Keywords: alignment in communication; structural coupling; linguistic networks; graph distance measures; mutual information of graphs; quantitative network analysi

Symposion: Was ist Netzwerkforschung?

Gegenwärtig wird soziale Netzwerkforschung aus den vielfältigsten Perspektiven und in den unterschiedlichsten Disziplinen betrieben. Dabei divergieren die Fragestellungen und Annahmen, sowie die methodischen Vorgehensweisen zum Teil deutlich. Die elf Beiträge dieses Symposiums umreißen aus ganz unterschiedlichen Fächern und Richtungen ihre Sichtweise auf Netzwerkforschung: Soziologie, Politikwissenschaft, Ethnologie, Geographie, Stadtforschung, Erziehungswissenschaft, Wirtschaftsinformatik und Computerlinguistik. Sie zeigen einerseits aktuelle Trends in der sozialen Netzwerkforschung auf und leuchten andererseits neben der disziplinären Pluralität auch die methodische und epistemologische Vielfalt der Forschung zu Netzwerken aus. Das Symposium hat seinen Ausgangspunkt in der Initiative Netzwerkforschung interdisziplinär. Diese will Vorteile wie Herausforderungen interdisziplinärer oder auch transdisziplinärer Netzwerkforschung diskutieren und entsprechende Kooperationen unterstützen.   Social network research is currently pursued from a wide variety of perspectives and by very different disciplines. The assumptions and research questions, but also the methods deployed diverge considerably. This symposium comprises eleven contributions that sketch the approaches from different disciplines and directions: sociology, political science, anthropology, geography, urban research, education, computer science, and computer linguistics. They point to current trends in network research, as well as shedding light on the variety of disciplines, methods, and epistemological positions involved. The symposium springs from the Initiative Interdisciplinary Network Research. The initiative aims at discussing the advantages and challenges of network research between the disciplines, and at encouraging and supporting cooperation bridging these divides

Data-based analysis of speech and gesture: the Bielefeld Speech and Gesture Alignment corpus (SaGA) and its applications

Lücking A, Bergmann K, Hahn F, Kopp S, Rieser H. Data-based analysis of speech and gesture: the Bielefeld Speech and Gesture Alignment corpus (SaGA) and its applications. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 2013;7(1-2):5-18.Communicating face-to-face, interlocutors frequently produce multimodal meaning packages consisting of speech and accompanying gestures. We discuss a systematically annotated speech and gesture corpus consisting of 25 route-and-landmark-description dialogues, the Bielefeld Speech and Gesture Alignment corpus (SaGA), collected in experimental face-to-face settings. We first describe the primary and secondary data of the corpus and its reliability assessment. Then we go into some of the projects carried out using SaGA demonstrating the wide range of its usability: on the empirical side, there is work on gesture typology, individual and contextual parameters influencing gesture production and gestures’ functions for dialogue structure. Speech-gesture interfaces have been established extending unification-based grammars. In addition, the development of a computational model of speech-gesture alignment and its implementation constitutes a research line we focus on

A semantic account for iconic gestures

Lücking A. A semantic account for iconic gestures. In: "Gesture – Evolution, Brain, and Linguistic Structures". Europa Universität Viadrina; 2010

Ikonische Gesten : Grundzüge einer linguistischen Theorie

Lücking A. Ikonische Gesten : Grundzüge einer linguistischen Theorie. Berlin [u.a.]: De Gruyter; 2012