Unravelling perspective-taking: Examining the influence of multiple constraints on perspective selection and multimodal behavior through a dynamical systems' approach

Obiettivo

Speakers routinely adapt their utterances and behaviour to converge on a shared perspective with their conversational partners. However, several aspects of perspective-taking are still underexplored. These include (i) the time course with which the partner’s perspective is considered, (ii) how the partner’s perspective interacts with other environmental and social cues, and (iii) how perspective choices are indexed by speakers’ behaviour. The proposed project addresses these issues by examining micro-behavioural measurements in (a) a set of mouse-tracking studies in which listeners respond to spatial instructions from an assumed partner, (b) a set of interactive studies in which dyads collaborate in a spatial task while multiple channels of their behaviour are sampled, and (c) a model based on the latter experimental data aiming to predict perspective from signatures in the dynamics of dyads’ multimodal behaviour. The empirical findings of the project can shed new theoretical light on the constraints of perspective-taking, but also supply clues for optimizing task and technology design. Dr Alexia Galati will pursue this project with Dr Rick Dale at the Cognitive and Information Sciences unit at the University of California, Merced (UCM), which comprises a critical mass of experts in dynamical systems. The embedded training in dynamical approaches involves novel and transferable technical tools that can be applied to activities ranging from user interface development, data visualization and synchronization, statistical analysis, and modelling. During the return phase, Dr Galati will transfer her new knowledge and skills to her collaborators and mentees at the University of Cyprus (UCY), under the supervision of Dr Marios Avraamides.