Mutual Interrogation Research Articles

Question-Asking in Same- and Opposite-Sex Initial Interactions The Effects of Anticipated Future Interaction

The present analysis examined interlocutors’ question-asking under high, moderate, and low levels of anticipated future interaction. Anticipated future interaction with another is presumed to increase persons'motivation to reduce their uncertainty. Prior to conversation, for example, observers engage in higher levels of information-seeking when they expect to meet the target. However, examination of subjects’ use of question-asking strategies suggested this effect does not extend to ongoing interaction. Instead, highest levels of mutual interrogation occurred at moderate levels of anticipated future interaction, in dyads required to negotiate a second encounter. The extent to which interlocutors control subsequent interaction has not been previously identified as a determinant of either uncertainty or uncertainty reduction. Such increased question-asking may be a function of actors’ desire to avoid negative conversational outcomes, a desire that becomes especially salient when actors are allowed to select their social partners.

Acoustic positioning for an array of freely drifting infrasonic sensors

Initial testing of the prototype element of a freely drifting infrasonic sensor array is described. The intent of this measurement system is to gather wide aperture data sets which will be used both to characterize ambient noise in the region 1-10 Hz and to assess the gains possible from beam forming utilizing a collection of very low frequency (VLF) sensors. Coherent processing (beam forming) of the infrasonic sensor data is made possible by relative position measurements derived from mutual acoustic interrogation of the elements at a higher frequency. Surface echo data from a recent sea test of the prototype buoy are used to illustrate the type of pulse processing which will be implemented as a first step in the localization procedure.