Question 1

Conversational analysts study conversations, which usually refer to
A) Text messages and email between two or more people
B) Telephone or face-to-face interactions between two or more people
C) Online posts between two or more people
D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

Conversational analysis primarily focuses on spoken interactions, such as telephone or face-to-face conversations, rather than written forms like text messages or online posts.

Question 2

A key difference between conversational analysis (CA) and most quantitative social science research is
A) CA researchers use imprecise measurements when collecting data
B) CA researchers use their own specific definitions and procedures that are rarely generalizable
C) CA researchers use inductive reasoning to develop their study
D) CA researchers use deductive reasoning to develop their study

Accepted Answer

Conversational analysis (CA) typically uses inductive reasoning, focusing on detailed examination of interactions to develop theories, rather than starting with a hypothesis as in deductive reasoning.

Question 3

Which of the following most likely would be studied by a CA researcher?
A) How doctors talk about cancer treatments with their patients
B) How patients understand medical charts about their condition
C) How hospitals publicize their services on their web site
D) All of the above are possible CA research topics

Accepted Answer

Conversation Analysis (CA) researchers typically study the structure and patterns of talk in interaction, such as how doctors communicate with patients.

Question 4

CA studies attempt to explain sequence organization, which refers to
A) The ways in which turns-at-talk are ordered and combined to make actions take place in conversation
B) The microlevel organization in conversation
C) Requests, offers, complains, and announcement actions in conversations
D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

Sequence organization in CA (Conversation Analysis) involves understanding how turns-at-talk are structured and combined to perform actions like requests, offers, complaints, and announcements, thus encompassing all the options provided.

Question 5

A conversational structure in which the first pair part calls for or invites the second pair part is called a(n) :
A) Adjacency pair
B) Claim of sequence
C) Unit of analysis
D) Account

Accepted Answer

An adjacency pair is a conversational structure where the first part prompts or invites a response, forming a two-part exchange.

Question 6

Conversational sequences such as question-answer, compliment-response, and buying-selling are examples of:
A) Adjacency pairs
B) Turn-taking
C) Preference
D) Repair

Accepted Answer

Adjacency pairs are pairs of related utterances by two different speakers, where the first utterance prompts a predictable response, such as question-answer or compliment-response.

Question 7

CA researchers are exploring the differences in how apologies occur in a hospital, school setting, and workplace. They are interested how this context influences the sequential structures:
A) Environmental contexts
B) Institutional contexts
C) Interpersonal contexts
D) Global contexts

Accepted Answer

The researchers are examining how apologies differ in specific settings like hospitals, schools, and workplaces, which are examples of institutional contexts.

Question 8

Strict reliance on transcripts alone (apart from other contextual evidence) as evidence for a claim observed by some conversational analysts is referred to as the:
A) Formatting rule for transcripts
B) Rule of analytic induction
C) Strict empirical requirement
D) Referential function rule

Accepted Answer

The strict empirical requirement refers to the practice in conversational analysis where analysts rely solely on transcripts as evidence for claims, without considering other contextual evidence.

Question 9

In conversational analysis, preference refers to:
A) How we decide to respond to a greeting
B) How we choose to go on with a conversation
C) How we respond to a compliment
D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

Preference in conversational analysis refers to the tendency to favor certain types of responses over others, such as accepting a compliment or responding positively to a greeting, which encompasses all the options listed.

Question 10

By combining adjacency pairs with different kinds of expansion, CA scholars can:
A) Explain the differences between local and global contexts
B) Explain longer conversation sequences that accomplish some action
C) Explain why conversational participants violate the rules
D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

By combining adjacency pairs with expansions, CA (Conversation Analysis) scholars can analyze how longer conversation sequences are structured to accomplish specific actions, such as requests, offers, or storytelling.

Question 11

Speakers who are asked a question during conversation should provide a truthful, relevant, and brief answer. What area of CA research deals with this topic?
A) Turn-taking
B) Preference
C) Repair
D) Adjacency pairs

Accepted Answer

Preference in conversation analysis (CA) deals with the organization of responses, including the expectation for truthful, relevant, and brief answers.

Question 12

Which CA research topic would be most likely to consider instances of breaching?
A) Turn-taking
B) Preference
C) Repair
D) Action sequences

Accepted Answer

Repair in conversation analysis often deals with instances where there is a breach or breakdown in communication, requiring correction or clarification.

Question 13

If your CA study aims to describe how teachers move from starting the class session to giving a lecture, conducting an activity, and concluding the session, you are probably studying:
A) Turn-taking
B) Preference
C) Repair
D) Action sequences

Accepted Answer

The study focuses on the sequence of actions teachers take during a class session, which aligns with the concept of action sequences in conversation analysis.

Question 14

The first step in creating an inductive claim for a CA study involves considering:
A) The context
B) The speaker's turn-taking behaviors
C) The sequence of turns in a conversation
D) The role of preferred and dispreferred behaviors

Accepted Answer

The first step in creating an inductive claim for a Conversation Analysis (CA) study involves considering the context, as it sets the stage for understanding the interaction and the participants' behaviors within it.

Question 15

A parent tells a child that she must always apologize when she interrupts a conversation. The parent is teaching the child:
A) How to take turns
B) How to repair a breach
C) How to enact an adjacency pair
D) How to give a preferred response

Accepted Answer

The parent is teaching the child to repair a breach, which involves acknowledging and correcting a social mistake, such as interrupting a conversation.

Question 16

A CA researcher might study utterances, sentences, or a speaking turn, which are examples of:
A) Adjacency pairs
B) Sequence organization
C) Units of analysis
D) Action sequences

Accepted Answer

Units of analysis refer to the basic elements that a researcher examines, such as utterances, sentences, or speaking turns, in conversation analysis.

Question 17

An advantage of videotaping to capture data for conversation analysis is that it:
A) Captures non-verbal aspects of conversation
B) Allows researchers to study embodied interactions
C) Can show how talk is integrated with the physical environment
D) All of the above are advantages

Accepted Answer

Videotaping captures non-verbal cues, allows for the study of embodied interactions, and shows how conversation is integrated with the physical environment, making all options advantages.

Question 18

Which ethical assurance is more likely to be given in a CA study that employs videotaped interactions that will be saved in a conversational database?
A) Confidentiality
B) Anonymity
C) Forbidding other researchers' from using the data
D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

In a CA (Conversation Analysis) study using videotaped interactions, confidentiality is more likely to be assured because the data will be stored and potentially accessed by others, making anonymity harder to guarantee.

Question 19

The slowest and most tedious part of doing CA research is probably:
A) Developing a claim or research question
B) Selecting sample textual data
C) Recording interactions
D) Transcribing interactions

Accepted Answer

Transcribing interactions is often the slowest and most tedious part because it requires detailed and precise documentation of spoken language, including pauses, intonation, and non-verbal cues.

Question 20

Which characteristics of a transcript might be used to warrant the external validity of CA data?
A) Intertranscriber reliability
B) Detail level
C) Sample representativeness
D) All of the above
Essays:

Accepted Answer

Sample representativeness is crucial for external validity as it ensures that the data can be generalized to a larger population.

Quiz 10: Conversation Analysis: Explaining Talks Structure and Function

Conversational analysts study conversations, which usually refer to

A key difference between conversational analysis (CA) and most quantitative social science research is

Which of the following most likely would be studied by a CA researcher?

CA studies attempt to explain sequence organization, which refers to

A conversational structure in which the first pair part calls for or invites the second pair part is called a(n) :

Conversational sequences such as question-answer, compliment-response, and buying-selling are examples of:

CA researchers are exploring the differences in how apologies occur in a hospital, school setting, and workplace. They are interested how this context influences the sequential structures:

Strict reliance on transcripts alone (apart from other contextual evidence) as evidence for a claim observed by some conversational analysts is referred to as the:

In conversational analysis, preference refers to:

By combining adjacency pairs with different kinds of expansion, CA scholars can:

Speakers who are asked a question during conversation should provide a truthful, relevant, and brief answer. What area of CA research deals with this topic?

Which CA research topic would be most likely to consider instances of breaching?

If your CA study aims to describe how teachers move from starting the class session to giving a lecture, conducting an activity, and concluding the session, you are probably studying:

The first step in creating an inductive claim for a CA study involves considering:

A parent tells a child that she must always apologize when she interrupts a conversation. The parent is teaching the child:

A CA researcher might study utterances, sentences, or a speaking turn, which are examples of:

An advantage of videotaping to capture data for conversation analysis is that it:

Which ethical assurance is more likely to be given in a CA study that employs videotaped interactions that will be saved in a conversational database?

The slowest and most tedious part of doing CA research is probably:

Which characteristics of a transcript might be used to warrant the external validity of CA data?