Achieving Preallocation: Turn Transition Practices in Board Games

Emily Hofstetter

doi:10.1080/0163853x.2020.1816401

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper contributes an analysis of practices for managing a preallocated turn-taking system in board games, expanding existing studies of preallocation beyond question-answer sequences. Although board games have existed for thousands of years across human cultures, and despite being a widely used method of data elicitation in many fields of research, there are few studies of how adults accomplish play. Using conversation analysis, this paper demonstrates how participants organize transition between board-game turns, finding that participants treat the game turns as analogous to the organization of pre- and post-possible completion. However, the preallocated nature of game turns results in alternate sense making concerning delays and overlap, especially where such occurrences threaten the achievement of the activity. Data are in English.

Highlights

This paper contributes an analysis of practices for managing a preallocated turn-taking system in board games, expanding existing studies of prealloca tion beyond question-answer sequences
This paper demonstrates how participants organize transition between boardgame turns, finding that participants treat the game turns as analogous to the organization of pre- and post-possible completion
This research makes two contributions to the study of language in interaction: First, it reports how preallocated turn-transition is managed by partici pants and how this system compares to Schegloff’s (1996) description of pre- and post-possible completion, and second, it provides a framework for understanding interaction during board game play, a commonly used source of data and a cross-cultural activity

Summary

Introduction

This paper contributes an analysis of practices for managing a preallocated turn-taking system in board games, expanding existing studies of prealloca tion beyond question-answer sequences. The current research shows that even preallocation of turns can only be achieved via members’ interactional work It is worth expanding our investigation into preallocation since so many activity settings (institutional interaction such as interviews, various forms of leisure and professional play or sport, etc.) involve various methods for delimiting rights to turns. This research makes two contributions to the study of language in interaction: First, it reports how preallocated turn-transition is managed by partici pants and how this system compares to Schegloff’s (1996) description of pre- and post-possible completion, and second, it provides a framework for understanding interaction during board game play, a commonly used source of data and a cross-cultural activity. This paper will provide such an analysis of practices for maintaining the turn system

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