AWKWARD SILENCES: BEHAVIORAL ANTECEDENTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE CONVERSATIONAL LAPSE

Audio tape‐recordings of 30‐minute conversations between pairs of strangers (N=90) were scored for the frequency and duration of conversational lapses, interactive silences of three or more seconds occurring at the recognizable completion of a turn‐constructional unit. Ten‐utterance segments of conversation immediately prior and immediately subsequent to lapses were transcribed from the tapes of 45 of the conversations characterized by multiple lapses. Pre‐and post lapse behaviors were coded as (A) (B) discloses, questions, edifies, acknowledges, advises, interprets, confirms, reflects. Also coded were gaps and laughter outbursts. Lag sequential analysis of the pre lapse data indicated that behavior sequences prior to lapses were characterized by a pattern of “minimal response” by one of the participants. Post lapse sequences were characterized by the presence of question‐answer adjacency pairs.