Affective stance, ambivalence, and psychophysiological responses during conversational storytelling

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Earlier research has shown that conversational storytelling is a regular locus for displays of affective stance. A stance display by the teller invites a mirroring response from the recipient, and these reciprocal displays are finely organized and timed. The article adds a new aspect to the research on affective stance and affiliation by examining the linkages between interactional stance displays and physiological responses in the participants. We show that the valence, and especially ambivalence, of the stance displayed by the storyteller is associated with an increase in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity in the recipient. The participants were 40 students who were discussing their life events in dyads. Heart rate, electrodermal activity (skin conductance), and facial muscle activity (EMG) of the participants were measured. The conversations were videotaped, and the storytelling instances were coded by means of a quantitative application of conversation analysis. The stories were coded into three classes: happy, sad, and ambivalent (twofold) stories on the basis of the affective stance that was displayed by the teller. In comparison to a happy and sad stance, ambivalence increased significantly the recipient's heart rate and electrodermal activity. Our interpretation is that the increased ANS activity reflects the more complex cognitive and interactional task faced by the recipients in affiliating with an ambivalent stance.