THE EFFECTS OF VISIBILITY ON DIALOG AND PERFORMANCE IN A COOPERATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING TASK

This study compares task outcome and various dialogue parameters betwe en situations in which task participants either could or could not see each other. The results establish that the visibility of one's conver sational partner improves information transfer and the management of t um taking in a transactional problem solving task. The greater efficie ncy of the dialogues between participants who could see each other was attributed to the exchange of visually transmitted, non-verbal signal s. In attempting to compensate for the lack of this additional channel of communication, pairs of subjects who could not see each other demo nstrated flexibility and versatility in communicating. They interrupte d their partners more frequently and used more back channel responses to provide their partners with increased verbal feedback. The analysis of one specific non-verbal behaviour, gaze, for a subsample of the di alogues, suggested that gaze plays a role in aiding communication.