Listening fast and slow

Emma M Templeton; Thalia Wheatley

doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101658

Listening fast and slow

Curr Opin Psychol. 2023 Oct:53:101658. doi: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101658. Epub 2023 Jul 6.

Authors

Emma M Templeton¹, Thalia Wheatley²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA. Electronic address: emma.m.templeton.gr@dartmouth.edu.
² Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA; Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA.

PMID: 37549539
DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101658

Abstract

The pattern of response times in conversation can reveal a lot about how people listen to each other. Fast response times not only telegraph eagerness but provide evidence of attending in such a way as to almost finish the other's sentences. In other situations, slow response times are more appropriate, such as when listening prompts deeper reflection, or to leave space for the enjoyment of an inside joke. Here we argue that close relationships are not marked exclusively by one or the other pattern, but by the ability to toggle effortlessly between the two as the conversation demands.

Keywords: Conversation; Listening; Response times; Social connection; Social interaction; Turn-taking.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Communication*
Humans
Reaction Time