Use of explicit replies as coordination mechanisms in online student
  debate
Bruno D. Ferreira-Saraiva Joao P. Matos-Carvalho Manuel Pita
People in conversation entrain their linguistic behaviours through
spontaneous alignment mechanisms [7] - both in face-to-face and
computer-mediated communication (CMC) [8]. In CMC, one of the mechanisms
through which linguistic entrainment happens is through explicit replies.
Indeed, the use of explicit replies influences the structure of conversations,
favouring the formation of reply-trees typically delineated by topic shifts
[5]. The interpersonal coordination mechanisms realized by how actors address
each other have been studied using a probabilistic framework proposed by David
Gibson [2,3]. Other recent approaches use computational methods and information
theory to quantify changes in text. We explore coordination mechanisms
concerned with some of the roles utterances play in dialogues - specifically in
explicit replies. We identify these roles by finding community structure in the
conversation's vocabulary using a non-parametric, hierarchical topic model.
Some conversations may always stay on the ground, remaining at the level of
general introductory chatter. Some others may develop a specific sub-topic in
significant depth and detail. Even others may jump between general chatter,
out-of-topic remarks and people agreeing or disagreeing without further
elaboration.