A Framework for Studying Human Multimodal Communication - Coverbal Synchrony in Human-Machine Interaction - page 30

mechanisms, which consist of a combination of small words like m ,
mhm, yeah , ok , head movements, gaze and facial gestures.
8. An Interactive View of Embodied Communication
In face-to-face communication, we can say that communicators form a
more or less integrated dynamic system by establishing communication
links on several levels of intentionality and awareness. Figure 2
below presents a simplified model of such a system, involving two
communicators (Allwood et al., 2008).
The figure shows two communicators, A and B, who are
communicating on several levels of awareness and intentionality. In
actuality, awareness and intentionality probably vary continuously
from no awareness or intentionality to higher degrees of awareness
and intentionality. However, in the model, we distinguish three levels
that have somewhat different properties (Allwood, 2008b).
On the level that is least aware and intentional (the indicative
level), A is influencing B, without intending to do so, or even being
aware of doing it. Similarly, B is being influenced, but is not really
aware of this happening.
On this level, subconscious or perhaps better non-conscious
reactions and appraisal can take place. Usually, these processes are
quick and lead to responsive behavioral reactions that are hard to
control. One word for this is “automatic”. In general, the model
predicts that the more aware a process is, the slower it will be and
the easier it will be to control and the less aware it is, the quicker it
will be and the more difficult to intentionally control it will be. On the
lowest level of awareness, there are many partly overlapping processes
that are basic to communication, like co-activation, mirroring, priming,
alignment and emotional contagion (Pickering and Garrod, 2004; Arbib,
2002; Tarde, 1903).
On the middle level (the display level), the sender is more aware
of what he/she is doing and more in control of his/her behavior.
Here, the basic communicative intention (Allwood, 2002, 2008b) is to
display or show something to the interlocutor. There are several kinds
of display. Often behavior, which has been initiated as indicated and
automatic, gradually becomes aware and can then be reinforced by
more aware and intentional display.
On the recipient side, the model also predicts degrees of awareness
and intentionality, extending from the non-conscious processes already
described above to more aware processes involving discrimination and
identification of stimuli as separate from each other.