On stance-taking with one-sided vs. two-sided shoulder lifts in German talk-in-interaction
Taking a stance toward events, objects, and other persons is fundamental to human interaction. We investigate one specific body movement that is involved in stance-taking in interaction: a shoulder lift, realized as either a one-sided or a two-sided movement. Using multimodal Conversation Analysis,...
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| Format: | Article |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1509988/full |
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| author | Emma Betz Alexandra Gubina |
| author_facet | Emma Betz Alexandra Gubina |
| author_sort | Emma Betz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Taking a stance toward events, objects, and other persons is fundamental to human interaction. We investigate one specific body movement that is involved in stance-taking in interaction: a shoulder lift, realized as either a one-sided or a two-sided movement. Using multimodal Conversation Analysis, we trace how interactants employ shoulder lifts in different positions within responsive turns in various interaction types in German. This study reveals how the actions to which shoulder lifts contribute are bound to specific turn and sequence positions. We demonstrate how shoulder lifts are used for disclaiming the speaker's accountability or responsibility by framing their turn as non-expandable or non-expansion-worthy, thus curtailing the sequence. Furthermore, the study shows how participants orient to different types of shoulder movements, i.e., lifts with one or with both shoulders, as accomplishing different interactional tasks. By showing that shoulder lifts are a positionally sensitive resource for speakers in building stances, we showcase the potential of conversation analytic and interactional linguistic approaches to further our understanding of multimodal stance-taking in interaction. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e77b00cffc3142408f7dbdbd33b3ecb5 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-e77b00cffc3142408f7dbdbd33b3ecb52025-08-20T02:20:00ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-04-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.15099881509988On stance-taking with one-sided vs. two-sided shoulder lifts in German talk-in-interactionEmma Betz0Alexandra Gubina1Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, CanadaLeibniz Institute for the German Language, Mannheim, GermanyTaking a stance toward events, objects, and other persons is fundamental to human interaction. We investigate one specific body movement that is involved in stance-taking in interaction: a shoulder lift, realized as either a one-sided or a two-sided movement. Using multimodal Conversation Analysis, we trace how interactants employ shoulder lifts in different positions within responsive turns in various interaction types in German. This study reveals how the actions to which shoulder lifts contribute are bound to specific turn and sequence positions. We demonstrate how shoulder lifts are used for disclaiming the speaker's accountability or responsibility by framing their turn as non-expandable or non-expansion-worthy, thus curtailing the sequence. Furthermore, the study shows how participants orient to different types of shoulder movements, i.e., lifts with one or with both shoulders, as accomplishing different interactional tasks. By showing that shoulder lifts are a positionally sensitive resource for speakers in building stances, we showcase the potential of conversation analytic and interactional linguistic approaches to further our understanding of multimodal stance-taking in interaction.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1509988/fullshrugshoulder liftembodimentstanceaccountabilityresponsibility |
| spellingShingle | Emma Betz Alexandra Gubina On stance-taking with one-sided vs. two-sided shoulder lifts in German talk-in-interaction Frontiers in Psychology shrug shoulder lift embodiment stance accountability responsibility |
| title | On stance-taking with one-sided vs. two-sided shoulder lifts in German talk-in-interaction |
| title_full | On stance-taking with one-sided vs. two-sided shoulder lifts in German talk-in-interaction |
| title_fullStr | On stance-taking with one-sided vs. two-sided shoulder lifts in German talk-in-interaction |
| title_full_unstemmed | On stance-taking with one-sided vs. two-sided shoulder lifts in German talk-in-interaction |
| title_short | On stance-taking with one-sided vs. two-sided shoulder lifts in German talk-in-interaction |
| title_sort | on stance taking with one sided vs two sided shoulder lifts in german talk in interaction |
| topic | shrug shoulder lift embodiment stance accountability responsibility |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1509988/full |
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