Uncommon ground : the distribution of dialogue contexts
Context in dialogue is at once regarded as a set of resources enabling successful interpretation and is altered by such interpretations. A key problem for models of dialogue, then, is to specify how the shared context evolves. However, these models have been developed mainly to account for the way context is built up through direct interaction between pairs of participants. In multi-party dialogue, patterns of direct interaction between participants are often more unevenly distributed. This thesis explores the effects of this characteristic on the development of shared contexts. A corpus analysis of ellipsis shows that side-participants can reach the same level of grounding as speaker and addressee. Such dialogues result in collective contexts that are not reducible to their component dyadic interactions. It is proposed that this is characteristic of dialogues in which a subgroup of the participants are organised into a party, who act as a unified aggregate to carry the conversation forward. Accordingly, the contextual increments arising from a dialogue move from one party member can affect the party as a whole. Grounding, like turn-taking, can therefore operate between parties rather than individuals. An
Eshghi, Arash
Computer Science
Uncommon ground : the distribution of dialogue contexts. Context in dialogue is at once regarded as a set of resources enabling successful interpretation and is altered by such interpretations. A key problem for models of dialogue, then, is to specify how the shared context evolves. However, these models have been developed mainly to account for the way context is built up through direct interaction between pairs of participants. In multi-party dialogue, patterns of direct interaction between participants are often more unevenly distributed. This thesis explores the effects of this characteristic on the development of shared contexts. A corpus analysis of ellipsis shows that side-participants can reach the same level of grounding as speaker and addressee. Such dialogues result in collective contexts that are not reducible to their component dyadic interactions. It is proposed that this is characteristic of dialogues in which a subgroup of the participants are organised into a party, who act as a unified aggregate to carry the conversation forward. Accordingly, the contextual increments arising from a dialogue move from one party member can affect the party as a whole. Grounding, like turn-taking, can therefore operate between parties rather than individuals. An
uncommon ground distribution dialogue context context dialogue regard set resource enable successful interpretation alter interpretation key problem model_dialogue specify share context evolves however model_develop mainly account way context build direct interaction pair participant multi party dialogue pattern direct interaction participant often distribute explores effect characteristic development share context corpus_analysis ellipsis show side participants reach level ground speaker_addressee dialogue collective context reducible component dyadic interaction propose characteristic dialogue subgroup participant organise party act unified aggregate carry conversation forward accordingly contextual arise dialogue move party member affect party whole grounding like turn_taking therefore operate party rather_individual