“can you tell me how to get there?”

This study takes up the current debate on natural versus elicited data in investigations speech acts by comparing both types of a particular context, that asking for and giving driving directions. An analysis route-descriptions offered male female direction-givers role-play settings revealed only one statistically significant sex-related difference: More than participants included mileage estimates setting but not setting. However, when participants’ responses were combined to compare with direction-giving, exhibited several significantly different linguistic behaviors terms their use verbal devices (e.g., landmarks, estimates, stoplight estimates) throughout interactional phases. Direction-givers, acting an authentic context carries real-world consequences, unanimously recognized indirect request directions while generally did not. Additionally, this cognitive conventionalization evident “natural” direction-giving lacking exchanges. Finally, more aware role as research direction-givers, awareness affected behaviors.