A Computational Framework for Analyzing Talk-time Sharing Dynamics
Year: 2026
Type: dissertation
Abstract: An intrinsic aspect of every conversation is the way talk-time is shared between multiple speakers. Conversations can be balanced, with each speaker claiming a similar amount of talk-time, or imbalanced when one talks disproportionately. Such overall distributions are the consequence of continuous negotiations between the speakers throughout the conversation: who should be talking at each point in time, and for how long? In this thesis we introduce a computational framework for quantifying both the conversation-level distribution of talk-time between speakers, as well as the lower-level dynamics that lead to it. We derive a typology of talk-time sharing dynamics structured by several intuitive axes of variation. By applying this framework to a large dataset of video-chats between strangers, we confirm that, perhaps unsurprisingly, different conversation-level distributions of talk-time are perceived differently by speakers, with balanced conversations being preferred over imbalanced ones, especially by those who end up talking less. Then we reveal that---even when they lead to the same level of overall balance---different types of talk-time sharing dynamics are perceived differently by the participants, highlighting the relevance of our newly introduced typology. Finally, we discuss how our framework offers new tools to designers of computer-mediated communication platforms, for both human-human and human-AI communication.
Source: eCommons (Cornell University)
DOI: 10.7298/m1tb-qj82
Author: Zhang, Sean
Institution: Cornell University
Language: English
Subfield: Language and Linguistics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7204248541