A Framework for Studying Human Multimodal Communication - Coverbal Synchrony in Human-Machine Interaction - page 29

normative requirements, A's contribution also contains an implicit
commitment to the belief that A is expressing through the predication
in the contribution. This is what in table 5 is called “obligations and
commitments” of a communicator.
If we turn to B's contribution, B, in the co-communicator role,
first carries out a conscious and less conscious internal appraisal and
evaluation of A's contribution and then switches to the communicator
role and produces behavioral reactions and responses related to A's
contribution. In the co-communicator role, B needs to evaluate his/
her own willingness and ability to react to the evocative functions in
A's contribution. Can and does he/she want to continue, perceive,
understand and share the belief that A is expressing and how does
he/she react to this emotionally and epistemically? This is what in
Table 5 is called “the evaluation obligations” of the co-communicator.
On the basis of an evaluation/appraisal of this type, B then provides
a reaction/response to A's contribution which then are subject to the
“obligations and commitments” of a communicator.

B: (nodding) mm yeah it is (depressed)

The functions of this contribution can be described as follows:

(i) Reactive/responsive : Through the nodding in combination with the
feedback words mhm , yeah , B expresses contact, perception and
understanding (CPU) (I am willing to have contact, perceive and
understand).
(ii) Expressive : B's responsive functions are also expressive, so
his/her contribution also expresses contact, perception and
understanding. In this case, this is done with depressed facial
gestures and tone of voice. In addition, by the word yeah and
reformulation it is of A's implicit statement, B expresses his
agreement and own belief in the meteorological state described
by A (shared belief).

(iii) Evocative : Like A's contribution (and like most contributions), B's

contribution is an attempt to evoke continued contact, perception,
understanding and shared awareness (belief) of B's sharing of
A's belief. It is, thus, an attempt to evoke a belief about a belief
in A, i.e. A should become aware that B shares his belief.

In other words, even small talk with a simple exchange of information
about the weather, like the one above, involves what is sometimes called
mentalizing and reliance on a so-called theory of mind (Frith and Frith,
2010), allowing a quick build-up of shared beliefs and emotions. This
is, to a very great extent, done through use of multimodal feedback