Do we change the way we speak depending on the situation? This research investigates how conversational speech behaviors, like speech rate and pitch, vary across different conversational tasks. Analyzing 112 conversations, the study reveals significant differences in acoustic measures between informational and relational contexts. These findings, robust across different partners, support the interpersonal synergy model, highlighting the influence of contextual demands on speech behaviors. The results have important implications for assessing speech behaviors in individuals with communication disorders and to test the hypothesis that interlocutors adjust their speech behaviors across different conversational tasks with different conversational goals.
Published in the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, this study is directly relevant to the journal's focus on communication sciences and disorders. The investigation of contextual influences on speech behaviors contributes to the understanding of spoken dialogue and has implications for clinical assessment and intervention in communication disorders.