Manual of Instructions for Identifying and Analyzing Referential Interactions

Abstract

A set of procedures, based on J. R. Kantor’s analysis of referential linguistic interactions as a class of adjustive behavior, is presented for guiding raters in the analysis of videotapes showing two people talking to one another. The rater’s first task is to identify each interaction that involves a speaker’s initiation of a referent and a listener’s relevant reaction to it. To assist the rater, 14 guidelines, together with correct and incorrect examples and explanatory comments, are provided. The second task is to analyze some or all of the identified interactions in terms of their frequency of occurrence during a session, average duration, topography (verbal-vocal and gestural), and concurrent behaviors, plus the listener’s responses which are classified as narrative, mediative, or both. The rater also categorizes the time frame, reality dimension, persons, animals, objects and activities, and any associated feeling reactions. In addition, the rater surveys the speaker’s interactions in terms of their secondary linguistic function (secondary to the communicative function of language), as for example, to amuse, teach, persuade, and so on. Finally, the rater classifies the setting conditions prevailing during the sessions. Procedures are also provided for a complete two-way analysis of linguistic interactions, that is, when the listener also takes the role of the speaker by initiating a referent, and the speaker also responds as a listener. The basic recording forms used in making both a one-way and two-way analysis of linguistic referential interactions are included.