Conversation Analysis Research Articles (Page 1)

Abstract In this article, we explore how praises directed at clients are used in Finnish career guidance encounters. More specifically, we examine how praise works as a tool for attending to the institutional agenda of career guidance. Our data set is a compilation of career and study guidance encounters within schools and universities, including 16 video-recorded and one audio-recorded career guidance sessions with 15 student-clients and 9 professionals. We use conversation analysis as an approach and method. Our analysis shows that the praises either focus on the client’s strengths or their effort and skill in “doing career work”. The praises occur in three contexts of performing institutional tasks of the encounters: 1. Mapping the client’s situation, where praise is used in closing-relevant positions to “set aside” unproblematic issues; 2. Taking a stance on the client’s strengths, where praise is offered to deliver professional views on the client’s character, and to counter their self-deprecations; and, 3. Contributing to decision-making, where praise is used to topicalize the client’s assets as cues to decision-making and to validate their interests. In general, the counsellors make efforts to show that their praise is grounded in the client’s self-report.

Abstract A key goal in world language education is decentering learners' assumptions about cultures. However, many teaching models, including virtual exchange (VE), equate culture with nation‐states and promote target‐language‐only policies, which can reinforce stereotypes and limit culture exploration for beginners. The study investigates the transformative learning (TL) impact of a critical VE that connected learners from two novice Mandarin courses in the United States with individuals from diverse Chinese communities. Participants engaged in hometown conversations using full linguistic repertoires and a multimodal map. Data from 16 participants—including surveys, journals, meetings, digital stories, and interviews with 5 focal participants—were analyzed. Findings revealed key TL outcome of critical assessment of assumptions. Multimodal conversation analysis of meeting episodes showed that learners strategically drew on a wide range of linguistic and multimodal resources for meaning negotiation, interaction management, and co‐construction of local culture knowledge. Translanguaging served as both a scaffold and a decolonizing act, fostering equitable transcultural learning. A pedagogical model is proposed, highlighting multiperspective dialogues, guided reflections, and translanguaging.

Excessive noise in operating theatres poses a significant challenge to communication, cognitive function and patient safety. Multiple sources contribute to excessive noise in the operating room including equipment and personnel. This study sought to define the noise within the operating room and elucidate factors contributing to excessive noise. This observational study sampled 44 surgical procedures across various surgical specialties and measured the noise level throughout each case using a Decibel X Recorder App (iPhone) recorder over a 2-week period. The number of staff, procedure type, duration of case, theatre staff composition and noise levels were recorded for each case. A correlation analysis of the listed factors and a linear regression were performed to model the observed noise and contributing factors for the collected cases. This study systematically quantifies intraoperative noise levels across 44 surgical procedures during a two-week period, assessing key contributors such as staff presence and procedure type. The time-weighted average noise level was 65.13 dB(A), substantially exceeding the recommended 35 dB threshold. Regression analysis revealed that each additional theatre staff member increased noise levels by 0.82 dB(A) (Time Weighted Average) (β = 0.818, p = 0.021), while procedure duration had no significant impact. Although noise levels varied across surgical specialties (p = 0.0185), no specific discipline exhibited statistically higher exposure. These findings highlight the need for targeted noise-reduction strategies, including optimising team composition, limiting non-essential communication and incorporating sound-dampening materials to enhance surgical efficiency and patient outcomes.

Abstract Adopting an applied conversation analysis (CA) perspective, this study explores the sequential organization of English used by a Chinese as a foreign language instructor, the actions projected and achieved through the instructor’s use of English, and how the instructor’s use of English influences students’ use of English and Chinese. We draw on video-recorded data of an advanced-level business Chinese class and conduct a micro-analysis of the instructor’s use of English in sequence-initiating, sequence-expanding, and sequence-closing positions. Contrary to pedagogical concerns that an instructor’s use of English may encourage students to use English to the detriment of L2 learning, the data support the idea that L2 use and learning can be optimized when L1 resources (e.g., English) are used judiciously to advance the instructor’s pedagogical agenda. Thus, while English is an omnipresent potential resource in the classroom, the instructor and students orient to it as one tool among several that can enhance the main business of their interactions: learning Chinese for business purposes.

Challenging antisocial behaviour is central to probation practice. Non-confrontational challenge has been identified as the most effective approach. Using conversation analysis to examine 25 probation sessions, we detail four common interactional resources practitioners use to challenge people subject to probation in a non-confrontational way: formulations, questions, assessments and advice-giving. We consider how these resources function and how they impact the ongoing interaction, specifically in terms of engagement and shifting clients' perspectives. The findings here deepen the practical and theoretical understanding of this cornerstone of effective probation practice.

Special section examining risk discussions across clinical specialties using conversation analysis: From information transfer to an interactional perspective.

Identifying, communicating, and de-escalating risk in high-stakes settings: How conversation analysis research can underpin communication training.

Carbon-ion radiotherapy employs distinct relative biological effectiveness (RBE) models-the local effect model (LEM) and the microdosimetric kinetic model (MKM)-which differ in their dependencies on dose-averaged linear energy transfer (LETd) and absorbed dose. Conversion factors (CFs) between these models are essential for translating clinical outcomes across institutions; however, previous studies have neglected LETd-driven spatial heterogeneity. This study aimed to quantify the impact of LETd on CFs by establishing a voxel-level framework for iso-effective dose conversion and validating its clinical applicability. RayStation-optimized plans included cubic and spherical targets, as well as clinical cases of prostate and lung cancer. CFs were derived by comparing LEM- and MKM-based RBE-weighted doses. A conversion model correlating LETd with MKM/LEM parameters ( , ) was developed using cubic plans (1-12cm modulation depths) and validated against RayStation calculations. Spatial CF variations were analyzed across dose levels (≤10Gy[RBE]) and LETd values (≤210.4keV/µm). CFs showed primary dependence on dose and LETd. Smaller targets (2-cm cubic) demonstrated higher LETd (83.0keV/µm) compared with larger targets (12-cm cubic, 38.4keV/µm) and lower CFs (1.03vs 1.13 at 4Gy [RBE]). In cube plan targets (e.g., a 6-cm cube at 7cm depth), the model predicted voxel-level doses with <2% error. LETd variations (36-100keV/µm) introduced approximately 5% CF uncertainty. Clinical validations showed ≤0.5% dose discrepancies in targets but revealed LETd-driven heterogeneity in Bragg peaks. LETd-induced spatial CF variability necessitates voxel-level analysis for precise dose conversion. The proposed framework supports LETd-aware treatment planning and cross-model interoperability, although clinical adoption will require tumor-specific CFs and validation in complex anatomies.

Numerical analysis of radiative and energy conversion for ammonia/hydrogen-air premixed flame in a planar micro-combustor

Modeling hierarchical structure for conversational aspect-based quadruple sentiment analysis

Use and effectiveness of directed, closed-loop communication in the operating theatre: mixed methods analysis of simulated clinical emergencies.

"Safer than driving": Risk communication about surgery with racially diverse families in pediatric urology visits.

Equivocation in patients' decisional preference about life-sustaining treatments.

Interpretation inaccuracies in pain communication between Hmong patients and clinicians in the USA: A conversation analysis informed study.

Risk assessment as routine: A conversation analysis of midwives' risk surveillance practices in midwife-led care during labour.

ABSTRACT When asking for something significant from another person, speakers not only set the tilt of the question toward the affirmative or negative but also display an optimistic or pessimistic stance toward the request’s ultimate fulfillment. Existing sociological theories provide contrasting predictions about whether optimism or pessimism will dominate request behavior in routine social interactions. This paper evaluates the relative strength of these predictions using conversation analysis (CA), supplemented with structured coding and inferential statistics, to examine everyday requests in seven diverse language communities. We focus on two specific practices for making requests—the tilt of the requesting talk and the use of pre-requests. We find that speakers exhibit a systematic preference for requesting with optimistic stances despite frequently encountering resistance from interlocutors. Consonant with Cerulo’s concept of positive asymmetry, the details of everyday behavior reveal a pervasive bias wherein interactants treat socially desirable, cooperative outcomes as expected while disattending from potential resistance.

To evaluate the learning curve for robotic liver resection (RLR) in France and determine the impact of procedural frequency on surgical performance (conversion) and postoperative outcomes (complications). RLR is increasingly adopted for its ergonomic and technical advantages. However, proficiency in RLR is primarily limited by restricted access to robotic platforms, which hinders consistent case exposure and learning. Understanding how procedural frequency influences learning and outcomes is critical for optimizing training and implementation. This retrospective multicenter cohort study (FRIES-ACHBPT-2024) included 650 patients who underwent RLR across 10 French hepatobiliary centers (2010-2024). Learning curves were analyzed using cumulative sum (CUSUM) analysis for conversion and blood loss, stratified by procedural complexity (IMM grades 1-3) and recurrence interval (high-frequency: ≤7 days; low-frequency: >7 days). Multivariable logistic regression identified independent predictors of postoperative complications. The conversion rate was 10.8%. Blood loss increased with IMM grade (184mL for IMM 1, 381mL for IMM 2, and 753mL for IMM 3). Learning curve inflection points were reached at 41 cases for conversion and 58 for blood loss. Surgeons with high-frequency access achieved competency earlier (35 vs. 47 cases). Independent predictors of postoperative complications included low-frequency access, age >70, metabolic syndrome, tumor size >5cm, high IMM grade, and conversion. Frequent access to robotic platforms (at least once a week) facilitates earlier proficiency in RLR and reduces complication risk. Structured training pathways and equitable access are essential to safe and effective RLR adoption.

This study investigates a teacher's use of a textbook in a primary school social studies course. It focuses on the moments when the teacher looks at the textbook during classroom interaction and how this practice promotes and shapes the interaction. Using conversation analysis, it provides new insights into the classroom discourse with reference to how the textbook supports the teacher talk. The corpus consists of 17 hours of video-recorded, naturally occurring classroom interaction. The analysis shows that the teacher extends her turn by using the content of the textbook at different moments of the interaction, such as the question and answer sequence and the lecture sequence. It also shows that the teacher experiences multitasking in the classroom by following the textbook while continuing with another classroom activity. Overall, this study fills a gap in the field by focusing on the use of the textbook in organizing classroom interaction.

This study applies Conversation Analysis to examine heritage language maintenance among Central Asian Kazakh families in the United States. The study analyzes naturally occurring conversations between a parent and toddler drawn from two Kazakh immigrant families from China and Kazakhstan. While both parents aspire to teach their children Taza Qazaqsha (“pure/clean Kazakh language”), both integrate translanguaging into their daily interactions, designing them around children’s interests and linguistic competencies to elicit children’s orientation toward learning Kazakh. Children exert agency in derailing the mothers’ Kazakh-learning communicative project, both implicitly, through responding almost entirely in English despite exhibiting understanding, as well as explicitly, through derailing the project of “saying” things in Kazakh when the mothers explicitly orient to this. Results point to children’s agency and the realities of maintaining Indigenous heritage languages in transnational settings.

Abstract This article explores how laughter is used in hybrid meetings to negotiate the shared meeting space between local and remote participants. We compare two datasets from organizations that use Microsoft Teams for either video-mediated interaction or audio-only interaction. By drawing on multimodal conversation analysis, we show how meeting participants initiate laughter either at or with the remote participant, thus subtly moving between multiple interactional spaces and shaping the participation framework of the meeting. By making the remote participant’s behavior or lack thereof (i.e. silence) noticeable and laughable, the participants collectively work to re-establish the shared meeting space. The study thus contributes to the discussion of the implications of visibility (or lack thereof) in hybrid audio-only and video-mediated meetings.