Using conversation analysis to identify unresponsiveness in peer interactions in inclusive groups

Authors

  • Anni Kilpiä University of Eastern Finland
  • Katja Dindar University of Eastern Finland; University of Oulu
  • Eija Kärnä University of Eastern Finland
  • Hannu Räty University of Eastern Finland
  • Anniina Kämäräinen University of Eastern Finland
  • Calkin Suero Montero University of Oulu; Mälardelen University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/jircd.24391

Keywords:

conversation analysis, unresponsiveness, peer interaction, inclusive education, autism

Abstract

Background: Previous research regarding unresponsiveness in peer interaction, including participants on the autism spectrum (AS), is mainly based on predefined categorizations of unresponsiveness; thus, there is a need for conversation analytic research to examine unresponsiveness from participants’ perspectives.

Method: Multimodal conversation analysis (CA) was applied to examine unresponsiveness in task-focused multiparty peer interactions of an inclusive group, including one participant on the AS.

Results: The results showed that it was not meaningful to analyze unresponsiveness in situations where there was no (aligning) response and all participants’ orientations revealed that a response was (not) needed. Instead, participants’ discrepant orientations to the response relevance made unresponsiveness a meaningful issue for participants to negotiate.

Discussion/conclusion: The CA approach can be useful for examining unresponsiveness accurately. The combination of both the speaker and recipient(s) orientations to response relevance can be used as a conceptual tool to identify unresponsiveness when it is relevant for the participants.

Author Biographies

  • Anni Kilpiä, University of Eastern Finland

    Anni Kilpiä, MPsych, works as a doctoral researcher in field of Psychology at the School of Education and Psychology at the University of Eastern Finland and is also a licensed psychologist. Her research interests include social interactions and stakeholder perspectives involving people on the autism spectrum, especially in a school context.

  • Katja Dindar, University of Eastern Finland; University of Oulu

    Katja Dindar, PhD, works as a postdoctoral researcher at the Research Unit of Logopedics at the University of Oulu and School of Educational Sciences and Psychology at the University of Eastern Finland, Finland. She is also a licensed psychologist. Her research interests include social communication and interaction, particularly in social situations involving children and adults on the autism spectrum.

  • Eija Kärnä, University of Eastern Finland

    Eija Kärnä, PhD, works as a professor of Special Education at the University of Eastern Finland. Professor Kärnä completed her PhD in Special Education from Syracuse University in New York, USA, in 1993. Professor Kärnä has been a principal investigator in many national and international development and research projects. All projects have been multidisciplinary. Her research interests include inclusive learning environments, technology for individuals with special needs, and digital literacy of various age groups.

  • Hannu Räty, University of Eastern Finland

    Hannu Räty, PhD, is professor in Psychology (emeritus) at Department of Education and Psychology at the University of Eastern Finland. His research has dealt with social representations of educability, e.g. the development of pupils’ conceptions of abilities, an eight-year follow-up study pertaining to parents’ perceptions of their children’s academic abilities and the role of parents’ own school memories and their attitudes to educational policy in terms of satisfaction with their children’s schooling; more recently he has focused on academic entrepreneurship from students’ perspective.

  • Anniina Kämäräinen, University of Eastern Finland

    Anniina Kämäräinen, PhD, works as a postdoctoral researcher and a university lecturer in the field of Special Education at the School of Education and Psychology at the University of Eastern Finland. Her research interests include social interactions in inclusive learning environments and practices in peer interaction involving children on the autism spectrum.

  • Calkin Suero Montero, University of Oulu; Mälardelen University

    Calkin Suero Montero, PhD, is senior research engineer at the School of Innovation Design and Engineering at the Mälardelen University, Sweden and Docent at the University of Oulu, Finland. Calkin is working on the development of inclusive and innovative educational environments and learning methodologies. Her research interests include participatory design, inclusive educational technologies and human-computer interaction.

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Published

2023-10-25

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 3 (2023)

Section

Articles

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© Equinox Publishing Ltd.

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How to Cite

Kilpiä, A., Dindar, K., Kärnä, E., Räty, H., Kämäräinen, A., & Suero Montero, C. (2023). Using conversation analysis to identify unresponsiveness in peer interactions in inclusive groups. Journal of Interactional Research in Communication Disorders, 14(3), 386-407. https://doi.org/10.1558/jircd.24391