Modelling Telephonic Interaction: A Dynamic Approach

Synopsis: This paper outlines a dynamic formalism for modelling interaction. A dynamic formalism models the behaviour potential at each point throughout an interaction, rather than trying to present the possible types of completed interaction structures, as in a synoptic approach. It is thus more concerned with interaction as process, rather than interaction as product. We model an interaction as a sequence of tasks which together achieve the respective goals of the participants. The dynamic model details which tasks are appropriately performed at each point of the interaction (the interactional context), and how the performance of the selected task changes the interactional context, thus producing a new interactional task potential. To ground our discussions, we will model Telephonic Information Service interactions.