Gaze and Proximity as Turn Regulators within Three-Party and Two-Party Child Conversations

Abstract
Gaze and proximity as nonverbal turn-taking behaviors were investigated within the three-party and two-party conversations of normal children. Subjects were six 4-year-old girls matched for familiarity. Alternations of 20-rain three-party and 15-rain two-party interactions were videotaped and transcribed. The data indicate that within nonsimultaneous language events, gaze and proximity, relate to changes in speaker turn and conversational role, with gaze functioning as a current-speaker-selects-next-speaker turn option and proximity, functioning as both a current-speaker-selects-next-speaker and a listener self-selection turn option. The data are discussed in terms of the sociocentric character of children's conversations.

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