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Personal messaging platforms are hugely popular and often implicated in the spread of misinformation. We explore an unexamined practice on them: when users create "group rules" to prevent misinformation entering everyday interactions. Our data are a subset of in-depth interviews with 33 participants in a larger program of longitudinal qualitative fieldwork (N = 102) we conducted over 16 months. Participants could also donate examples of misinformation via our customized smartphone application. We find that some participants created group rules to mitigate what they saw as messaging's harmful affordances. In the context of personalized trust relationships, these affordances were perceived as making it likely that misinformation would harm social ties. Rules reduce the vulnerability and can stimulate metacommunication that, over time, fosters norms of collective reflection and epistemic vigilance, although the impact differs subtly according to group size and membership. Subject to further exploration, group rulemaking could reduce the spread of online misinformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pretend play provides enriched environments for multiple cognitive and social purposes. The quality of children's pretend play depends on the process, including children's back and forth proposals and responses about the play frames. Proposing and responding to play ideas with metacommunication use, leadership-followership interactions are required in which the leaders and followers are interdependent to effectively move play frames forward. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of metacommunication and leadership/followership processes expressed in social pretend play. A conceptual framework was built on works on leadership development and Vygotsky's work of pretend play, describing the dynamic nature of leadership process within social pretend play. Results indicate that children's use of metacommunication varies by which components of pretend play (i.e., imaginary situation, play role, play rule) they are discussing and with whom they are communicating. Results also show how much the factors of interest – use of metacommunication, child gender, and the role of followership – may impact children's successful pretend play, represented by sustained pretend play with agreement on the play situation, play roles, and play rules by all players involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erving Goffman's concept of framing is one of his most enduring contributions to social science. Despite the canonical status of Frame Analysis (1974) in multiple fields, few acknowledge its intellectual engagement with animal studies. It was Gregory Bateson, in an analysis of animal play, who first posited the idea of frames as metacommunicative propositions that signal the meaning of behavior. In this paper, we show that Goffman did not just opportunistically borrow the idea of framing from Bateson, but also advanced Bateson's thesis that nonhuman animals are capable of (re)framing the meaning of behavior. He emphasized that animals and humans could meta‐communicate with each other as well. Goffman polemicized against human exceptionalist theories of cognition and communication—not only in Frame Analysis, but also in unpublished remarks he delivered at a controversial conference on animal communication, and he suggested that the ability to meta‐communicate is a more appropriate index of mind than language. Although new research indicates that many species use "significant symbols" and have a "theory of mind," most interactionists have not reckoned with the sociological implications of animals as "minded" social actors capable of metacommunication with each other—and with people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The notion of politeness is closely connected with communication control as one of its important mechanisms, which, however, has not been thoroughly researched in academic literature. In the present paper, we view this mechanism through the prism of communication monitoring, defined as a social negotiation instrument aimed at the speaker’s self-control and regulation of other people’s verbal and nonverbal behaviour. The study employs a complex of qualitative methods including observation, definition analysis, discourse analysis and introspection. Drawing upon the data of over 1500 communicative situations in English and Russian, we distinguish the prognostic, diagnostic, regulative, corrective, and reflexive functions of monitoring, as well as the function of conflict resolution. The connection between monitoring and politeness is determined by the existence of social constraints and the necessity to observe established rules and norms. The presence of multiple communication variables makes it possible to distinguish different types of monitoring: (i) horizontal vs. vertical monitoring; (ii) self-monitoring vs. monitoring of others; (iii) verbal vs. nonverbal monitoring; (iv) oral vs. written monitoring; (v) explicit vs. implicit monitoring; (vi) pre-monitoring vs. concurrent monitoring vs. post-monitoring; (vii) direct vs. mediated monitoring; and (viii) overt vs. covert monitoring. (Im)politeness is manifested in all the types through the choice of words and communication strategies, observance or violation of conversational rules, and different forms of nonverbal behaviour. These findings can lead to their practical application and help to enhance the effectiveness and quality of human interaction.

The notion of politeness is closely connected with communication control as one of its important mechanisms, which, however, has not been thoroughly researched in academic literature. In the present paper, we view this mechanism through the prism of communication monitoring, defined as a social negotiation instrument aimed at the speaker's self-control and regulation of other people's verbal and nonverbal behaviour. The study employs a complex of qualitative methods including observation, definition analysis, discourse analysis and introspection. Drawing upon the data of over 1500 communicative situations in English and Russian, we distinguish the prognostic, diagnostic, regulative, corrective, and reflexive functions of monitoring, as well as the function of conflict resolution. The connection between monitoring and politeness is determined by the existence of social constraints and the necessity to observe established rules and norms. The presence of multiple communication variables makes it possible to distinguish different types of monitoring: (i) horizontal vs. vertical monitoring; (ii) self-monitoring vs. monitoring of others; (iii) verbal vs. nonverbal monitoring; (iv) oral vs. written monitoring; (v) explicit vs. implicit monitoring; (vi) pre-monitoring vs. concurrent monitoring vs. post-monitoring; (vii) direct vs. mediated monitoring; and (viii) overt vs. covert monitoring. (Im)politeness is manifested in all the types through the choice of words and communication strategies, observance or violation of conversational rules, and different forms of nonverbal behaviour. These findings can lead to their practical application and help to enhance the effectiveness and quality of human interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

News organizations increasingly utilize visual elements to communicate news and information to audiences. Digital editing technology allows producers to enhance visual communication through the addition of supplementary text or filters to photos. Such metacommunication can alter the intrinsic meaning of a photograph while increasing audience engagement. Traditional photojournalism norms state that images should not be altered. This study examines whether metacommunicative news images receive more engagement and whether some outlets are more likely than others to share such images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past few decades, self-help books on communication have ranked among the top titles on bestseller lists. Offering advice about improving communication skills in a variety of contexts, they both reflect and promote a widespread discourse about the importance of good communication in everyday life, in what is in fact a paradoxical endeavor – solving flawed communication with more communication. Based on an analysis of 18 bestselling self-help books, the paper examines the meaning of three recurring themes – "listening," "awareness" and "practice" – and analyzes the paradoxical relationship between what the books say about communication and how they say it. The findings serve to illuminate the relationship between communication and metacommunication more broadly, which, in turn, helps to explain the conditions by which authors express their ideas – their selection of textuality, despite, and precisely because of, its difference from oral talk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metapragmatics is a relatively new field of study that attracts the attention of many scholars in linguistics; it refers to the use of language about language use. In trials of political figures, such as Saddam Hussein and William Clinton, Iraqi and American legal discourses have not been addressed that much, if ever, metapragmatically; thus, the study aims to analyze these discourses metapragmatically. This paper attempts to answer central questions about identifying the metapragmatic expressions, explaining their functions, and describing the layers of metapragmatic monitoring of the detected metapragmatic expressions in the Iraqi and American legal discourse. Accordingly, the objectives are to identify the metapragmatic expressions detected by specific indicators and investigate their functions and role in monitoring the Iraqi and American broadcast political court discourses. Some extracts of the two figures mentioned above are analyzed according to a developed model encompassing Caffi's (2016) model, Hubler and Bublitz's (2007) metapragmatic parameters, and Culpuper and Haugh's (2014) metapragmatic awareness indicators, and forms. The current study is hoped to be helpful for those researchers interested in the fields of pragmatics, politics, and applied linguistics. Since metapragmatics deals with the pragmatic meaning of language, this study highlights the importance of metapragmatic expressions in promoting productive interaction and organizing communication within the court, regardless of the language used. Further investigation of metapragmatics is recommended while analyzing political, literary, religious, social, and media discourse to understand the functions of the metapragmatic utterances used in different settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voice messages (VMs), which allow users to send recorded messages to other contacts, are a popular feature of instant messaging applications. Despite their popularity, linguistic research on VMs is still in its infancy. This study analyses metacommunication around VMs in mobile messaging conversations among WhatsApp users in Germany and Spain. It focuses on participants' metacommunicative accounts (such as references, explanations, or motivations) of their preference for audio posting over other forms of communication (e.g. texting). Drawing on recent advances in digital conversation analysis, we examine how accounts placed in different sequential positions in messenger chats (preceding a VM, at the beginning or end of a VM, or after it has been sent) address diverse aspects of voice messaging (from either the sender's or recipient's perspective). We demonstrate that accounting accomplishes different social actions, such as framing a VM as something outstanding or worth apologising for. We argue that a sequential analysis of accounting and metacommunication offers rich insights into users' media ideologies concerning the appropriateness and timing of text and voice messaging. Overall, these findings contribute to a better understanding of the growing importance of voice in mobile communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Writing is a central yet under-researched activity in teacher education classrooms. In this study, we explore in-class writing activities used by a multidisciplinary group of teacher educators at one teacher education institution. The purpose is to gain a better understanding of the nature of the writing activities and perspectives on writing they reflect. To this end, we analyze writing prompts and fieldnotes from classroom observations of fifteen literacy events in which writing was at the center. While our analysis reveals multiple and overlapping perspectives on writing, it also shows that writing activities are understood primarily as versatile learning tools. This is reflected in a focus on cross-disciplinary uses of writing to enhance students’ content learning, rather than on explicit development of discipline-specific writing conventions. Furthermore, our analysis shows that there is limited metacommunication about the writing that takes place in the literacy events. We suggest that there is untapped potential among these teacher educators when it comes to making the pedagogical rationales behind the use of in-class writing activities explicit to the students. Such explicit rationales might support students in developing a greater understanding of how to use and work with writing as future teachers.

Writing is a central yet under-researched activity in teacher education classrooms. In this study, we explore in-class writing activities used by a multidisciplinary group of teacher educators at one teacher education institution. The purpose is to gain a better understanding of the nature of the writing activities and perspectives on writing they reflect. To this end, we analyze writing prompts and fieldnotes from classroom observations of fifteen literacy events in which writing was at the center. While our analysis reveals multiple and overlapping perspectives on writing, it also shows that writing activities are understood primarily as versatile learning tools. This is reflected in a focus on cross-disciplinary uses of writing to enhance students' content learning, rather than on explicit development of discipline-specific writing conventions. Furthermore, our analysis shows that there is limited metacommunication about the writing that takes place in the literacy events. We suggest that there is untapped potential among these teacher educators when it comes to making the pedagogical rationales behind the use of in-class writing activities explicit to the students. Such explicit rationales might support students in developing a greater understanding of how to use and work with writing as future teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we conduct a critical discourse analytical study of asylum interviews in order to contribute to knowledge and awareness of (a) how asymmetrical power relations are discursively (re)produced as well as manoeuvred and negotiated during the interaction and (b) what this means in terms of positioning of the participants. Focusing on a number of metacommunicative sequences characterised by a notably high degree of interpersonal complexity, we examine how participants are positioned and how positioning is discursively realised. We draw on eight observed and recorded asylum interviews conducted in Sweden 2018–2021. Metacommunicative positioning is analysed mainly with a focus on speech functions and modality. We show that metacommunication is used by all participants largely as a means of constructing an asylum narrative within the framework of an institutional discourse. The participants can position each other in (dis)advantageous ways in their attempts to deny, or sometimes claim, responsibility for miscommunication. The applicants generally obey the metacommunicative instructions given by other, more powerful participants. However, we also show an example of an applicant who makes resistance to the institutional discourse. Furthermore, all participants use metacommunication as a tool to guide each other in the conversation, thereby positioning themselves as responsible for the co-construction of the asylum narrative. Finally, we underline the benefits of conducting critical discourse analysis in the study of asylum interviews, although such studies can barely change the fact that the asylum determination process is unequal and asymmetrical in its core. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses metalanguage, metadiscourse, metacommunication and metapragmatics testifying to users' conscious awareness enacted in human-AI interactions, based on a corpus of posts sent to Reddit's r/ChatGPT. The emphasis falls on users' foci of attention as they perform linguistic tests on ChatGPT and on how the "meta" practices manifest themselves interactionally on the selected subreddit, where human-AI interactions are showcased for entertainment purposes. The findings suggest that engaging with AI reflects and, potentially, enhances language users' metalinguistic, metadiscursive, metacommunicative and metapragmatic awareness. This awareness is mirrored in ChatGPT's output, indicative of its previous human-assisted training. Additionally, this investigation demonstrates that, when acknowledged as one subject of study, the four "meta" concepts are intricately intertwined as they may co-occur and overlap. • Posts at r/ChatGPT report users' challenging ChatGPT for entertainment purposes. • Challenges involve (im)politeness, language play, pretend play, and epistemic states. • Human-AI interactions show and boost users' conscious meta-linguistic/communicative/pragmatic awareness. • Users' "meta" conscious awareness shows on three interactional levels at r/ChatGPT. • Metapragmatics, metacommunication, metadiscourse and metalanguage are overlapping notions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the relationships between therapists' use of discourse particles and therapist empathy. Discourse particles, commonly found in non-English languages, are verbal elements that constitute metacommunication by encoding speakers' emotions and attitudes, which are typically expressed by nonverbal behaviors (e.g., intonation, tone, facial expression, nodding). We hypothesize an inverted U-shaped curvilinear relationship between therapists' use of discourse particles and therapist empathy, given the notion that an optimal level of therapists' emotion in psychotherapy can facilitate clients' inner experiencing and self-expression. Four psychotherapy sessions each from 39 therapist–client dyads were analyzed. After each session, therapist empathy was rated by trained observers using the Therapist Empathy Scale (TES) and by clients using the Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory (BLRI). Multilevel modeling shows that both the person-level negative quadratic term and positive linear term for therapists' usage of discourse particles are significant in predicting mean TES with large effect sizes. The same predictors do not yield significant results in predicting mean BLRI but they trend in similar directions of associations with medium effect sizes. Our results suggest the optimal usage of discourse particles by therapists is around 20.3% (out of all utterances). The nonsignificant results in BLRI may be attributed to the relatively small sample size of our data and the noncommunication orientation of the client-rated measure. Public Significance Statement: We show an inverted U-shaped relationship between therapists' use of discourse particles, a novel linguistic feature about metacommunication, and therapist empathy, suggesting an optimal level of therapists' emotions and attitudes in speech. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immediacy is a skill therapists use to process the therapeutic relationship in the here and now. Although immediacy has been shown to enhance the therapeutic process, therapists are often reluctant to use it (Hill et al., 2018). In three studies, we developed and tested a measure to assess reasons that therapists avoid using this skill: the Barriers to Using Immediacy Scale (BUIS). In Study 1, 185 North American therapist trainees completed the 45-item pilot measure. Exploratory factor analysis supported a four-factor structure (Concerns About Client Reactions, Concerns About Therapist Reactions, Negative Beliefs About Immediacy, Lack of Skills for Using Immediacy). In Study 2, with an international sample of 352 therapist trainees and professionals, confirmatory factor analyses supported the original four correlated factors model, as well as alternative models. In Study 3, 89 undergraduate students in a helping skills class completed the BUIS at three points during the semester. Students' total barriers and barriers due to a lack of skills decreased, but other perceived barriers did not decrease after training. Across all three studies, predicted correlations of BUIS scores were found with measures of self-efficacy for using immediacy, adherence to different theoretical orientations, communication style, and attachment style. Incremental validity was supported by the association of BUIS scores with measures of open communication and attachment style, after accounting for self-efficacy for immediacy. Limitations and future directions are discussed. Public Significance Statement: We provide preliminary evidence of strong psychometric properties for the Barriers to Using Immediacy Scale. The Barriers to Using Immediacy Scale could be used to help therapists and therapist trainees understand what gets in the way of using immediacy, as well as to track the success of training programs designed to reduce these barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychiatric assessments of non-native migrant patients facilitated by an interpreter pose specific communication challenges to all participants. In this study, we developed an original interdisciplinary approach to the verbal and non-verbal practices in this triadic activity. The aim was a data-based description of challenges for clinicians and interpreters, and the identification of relevant strategies. We filmed, transcribed and translated 10 interpreter-mediated consultations focused on the psychiatric assessment of the patient. Subsequently, we submitted the consultations to clinical, interactional sociolinguistic, and interdisciplinary analyses. We identified six challenges for interpreters and clinicians engaged in psychiatric assessments: barely comprehensible and confusing speech, speech about emotions and subjective perceptions, sensitive remarks in relational terms, conclusive clinician interventions, interruptions during interpreter renditions, and non-verbal communication. Attempts by the interpreter to avoid relational offenses (protection of positive face) and to defend the participants' autonomy (protection of negative face) play a major role in these challenges. So does an insufficient awareness of mutual needs by the clinician and the interpreter. We identified specific strategies of inter-professional metacommunication for each challenge. Clinicians and interpreters should be aware of the challenges they may face in triadic psychiatric assessments. They should take a reflexive stance towards their common practices and may consider using metacommunication tools to reach better communicational and clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces a special issue of the American Behavioral Scientist in which scholars of public deliberation address the theme of "Deliberative Play" from different conceptual and empirical approaches. Here I introduce the concept of deliberative play against a background of philosophical accounts of deliberative action, the theory of metacommunication, and trends in the study of public deliberation that are endeavoring to reduce the gap between normative theories and the empirical realities of deliberative democratic practice. Articles in the special issue address several aspects of deliberative play: how storytelling activities accomplish deliberative play in online forums (Black, Wolfe, and Han); how facilitators can cue and maintain the deliberative play frame during facilitated deliberative discussions (Sprain); how playful exchanges are enabled by the structure of New England town meetings and what they accomplish (Townsend and Milburn); how alternative scenarios for action presented with pros and cons by expert consultants influence deliberative play in online discussions in Poland (Przybylska, Bucholc, and Mazur); and how online discussion interfaces would benefit from applying principles of game design (Gastil). The concluding section reflects on the results of these studies and their implications for further investigations of deliberative play. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dogs engage in play behavior at every age and the play bow is their most iconic playful posture. However, the function of this posture is still under debate. Here, we selected the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog (CWD) as a model breed to clarify the function of the play bow. We analyzed frame-by-frame 118 sessions of 24 subjects and recorded 76 play bow events. We found that all the play bows were performed in the visual field of the playmate suggesting that the sender takes into account the attentional state of the receiver when releasing the signal. By drawing survival curves and using log-rank test we found that play bow was mainly performed during a short pause in an ongoing session and that its performance triggered the playmate's reaction again. These findings show that play bow functions in restoring the partner motivation to play. Finally, by using a sequential analysis and a generalized mixed model, we found no evidence supporting the metacommunicative function of the play bow. The signal did not necessarily precede a contact offensive behavior (e.g. play biting and play pushing) and it was not affected by the level of asymmetry of the play session. In conclusion, in CWDs play bow can be considered a visual signal useful to maintain the motivation to play in the receiver. Therefore, we suggest that the mismatched number of play bows emitted by the 2 players in a given session can be predictive of their different motivations to play. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Belügyi Szemle / Academic Journal of Internal Affairs is the property of Ministry of Interior of Hungary and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Swedish preschools are obliged, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, to support the language development of all children, including those whose mother tongue is different from the majority language. Previous research indicates that play serves as an important medium for language development, yet the role of the teacher in this process remains underexplored. The aim of this study is to explore how preschool teachers can support multilingual children's participation in preschool through play. The following questions guide the analysis: • In which situations do more than one named language occur in narrative play activities where preschool teachers and children participate together? • How does the preschool teacher contribute on these occasions? Video observation was employed as a method to examine the interactions of a multilingual preschool teacher during narrative play where translanguaging was evident. The empirical material consists of six hours of video recordings generated over five separate occasions spanning two months. The data were analysed using Socioculturally-informed Interaction Analysis (SIA) and grounded in a theoretical framework of play-responsive teaching, focusing on key concepts like metacommunication, the as-if and as-is dimensions of play, as well as scaffolding and triggering. The findings reveal that translanguaging occurs when discussing the rules of the play and narratives, during meta-communication about the language used in the play, when referencing specific cultural experiences and in connection to popular cultural experiences. The languages involved in these scenarios are Arabic, English, and Swedish. The teacher actively initiates and responds to translanguaging, thereby validating the use of multiple languages. The study highlights the teacher's role in coordinating and establishing intersubjectivity between the participants in play activities. The discussion suggests that many of the strategies could also be applied even if the teacher is not multilingual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication relies on signals that can be produced via different sensory modalities to modify receivers' behavior. During social interactions, the possibility to perceive subtle visual cues enhances the use of facial expressions to exchange information. One of the most appropriate fields to explore the specific design features of visual signals is play fighting. Here, we explored the production and potential role of Relaxed Open Mouth (ROM) and Head Bobbing (HB) in regulating play fighting of wild spotted hyenas Crocuta crocuta , a highly hierarchical carnivore species. In accordance with the assumptions of the signal optimization theory, wild hyenas produced ROM and HB almost exclusively when the sender was in direct visual contact with the receiver thus suggesting that senders were attentive to the playmates' face. Contrary to HB, the sequential analysis revealed that ROM often anticipated offensive patterns such as play biting thus supporting the hypothesis that ROM, but not HB, is a metacomunicative signal. Moreover, when the offensive patterns were biased toward one of the 2 players, the session was punctuated by a higher number of ROMs. Our findings support the general hypothesis that these 2 visual signals can play different roles in the management of play fighting in this carnivore species. The complementary use of ROM and HB would suggest that spotted hyenas are highly competent and fast in processing facial displays of different nature to correctly "read others' intentions" and respond with appropriate motor actions to avoid misunderstanding during one of the most multifaceted and risky social interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of RumeliDE Journal of Language & Literature Research / RumeliDE Dil ve Edebiyat Araştırmaları Dergisi is the property of RumeliDE Uluslararasi Hakemli Dil & Edebiyat Arastirmalari Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article deals with metacommunicative discussions of Russian and Belaru- sian-speaking Belarusians in Internet communication. The aim of the research is to establish a connection between the ideas of speakers about the functions of the Rus- sian and Belarusian languages and the specifics of speech behavior. Based on the comparison of quantitative and structural-pragmatic parameters of metacommunica- tive discussions, it is shown that quantitative characteristics have a clear similarity and structural-pragmatic parameters reveal significant differences. These differences are associated with the different attitudes of speakers to the Russian and Belarusian languages and ideas about the functions of these languages: the choice of the Russian or Belarusian language determines the specifics of the manifestation of metacommu- nicative reflection.

Play fighting, the most iconic form of social play, is often punctuated by specific signals, such as the relaxed open mouth (ROM) display, limiting the risk of misunderstanding between playmates. Although there is general consensus that the ROM of dogs is a ritualized version of play biting, the empirical demonstration of the actual ritualization of ROM has been lacking. We videorecorded and analysed 118 playful sessions involving 24 Czechoslovakian wolfdogs (12 females; 12 males), which is a breed of domestic dog, Canis lupus familiaris , showing wolf-like behavioural traits. By using an integrated approach of different techniques (dog facial action coding system, an unsupervised cluster analysis and the Levenshtein distance), we empirically demonstrate that the ROM is intrinsically different from the play biting action in this breed of dog. Contrary to the play bite, during ROM, the recruitment of muscular action units for each facial display was more consistent, conspicuous and intra- and interindividually stereotyped. Moreover, a sequential analysis revealed that the ROM usually preceded playful offensive patterns, thus underlining the real metacommunicative function of the signal. Finally, by running a linear mixed model, we found that the most balanced sessions were punctuated by the most prolonged performance of ROM, thus revealing the efficiency of the facial signal in maintaining a balanced session. In conclusion, through the processes of formalization, simplification and emphasis, an ordinary precursor behaviour (i.e. play biting) has been taken out of context and transformed into an extraordinary, derived behaviour (i.e. ROM) specifically designed to attract receivers' attention and modulate playful social interactions in dogs. • The relaxed open mouth (ROM) is intrinsically different from the play bite in dogs. • The ROM is consistent, conspicuous and individually stereotyped. • The ROM anticipates offensive playful patterns. • The more balanced the play session, the longer the performance of the signal. • The ROM is a ritualized and effective metacommunicative signal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As social media becomes one principal mediator of human interaction around the globe, its features such as gamification both enable and shape user behavior (e.g. enhancing habit formation), communication and relationships. In order to contribute to the understanding of social media and the impact of its gamified features, we conducted in-depth praxeological interviews with high school pupils (aged 14–18, N = 25) which revealed youth's reliance on gamification-related metacommunication. Metacommunication - communication about communication - both illustrates the interplay between gamification and relationships and helps users manage it. More specifically, this paper examines verbal metacommunication revolving around Snapchat Streaks – a highly popular gamified feature that quantifies subsequent days of exchanging snaps (pictures or videos) on the app. Using data from the interviews, we lay out metacommunication connected to the main phases of adolescents' streak practice: initiating a streak, maintaining it and losing it. We discuss how youths metacommunicate: 1) to mitigate potential adverse effects of gamification on their relationships; 2) as a support to their gamification “gameplay”. Ultimately, we use the example of streaks-related metacommunication to discuss how the ever-growing gamification of social media affects interaction and relationships.

Communication as a process of information sharing is a key segment of all management functions. Insufficient or poor-quality information sharing suggests unproductive communication. Globalization and development of modern, sophisticated technologies allow management to adapt and create productive work communication. Considering the statements above, in this paper, the emphasis will be on showing aspects of productive communication considering a maritime organization reflecting metacommunication as a tool for improving communication skills. This paper will descriptively explain the process of communication in the organization, the ways and actions a manager must take as his activities in the function of business success, and how to improve communication to maximize productivity with the main goal of incorporating metacommunication in an organization. For such, pilot research was conducted on Graduate students of the Faculty of Maritime Studies in Split, majoring in Maritime Management (imagining students as employees and professors as managers), which showed that 75% know the concept of metacommunication, but only 51% use metacommunication with their colleagues as a part of productive communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Psychology article presents the theoretical-conceptual models that characterizes the keys to understanding and to study mental capacity and communication skills, useful in being able to know and analyses Linguistic Intelligence. Studies on the development of Linguistic Intelligence have been conducted predominantly by the following disciplines: - Neurolinguistics that led to the formulation of mental imaginative insights as the fundamental conception of the Linguistic Generative Intelligence model, - Social Cognitive Psychology that led to the formulation of mental evolutionary adaptation as a fundamental principle of the Linguistic Constructive Intelligence model; - Psychology of Communication that led to the formulation of continuous, dynamic and interactive relationship of the communication cycle as a fundamental axiom of the Communication Sciences. Linguistic Intelligence is determined by typical forms of thinking and reasoning, which adopt particular mental abilities and specific expressive competences with respect to other communication codes, such as the graphic-pictorial, the mimicgestural, the musical, etc. The structures, properties, and expressions of Linguistic Intelligence, that characterize the conception, construction and formalization of verbal or written communications between people, can be analysed on the basis of three different fields of studies: A) PSYCHOLINGUISTIC: study the psychological characteristics and rules of codification and decoding of language, in the psycho-cognitive-pragmatic field of study of linguistic communication). PsychoLinguistics is connoted by 4 models: Structuralist Cognitivism, Empirical Taxonomy, Generative Neurolinguistics, Linguistic Metacommunication; B) LINGUISTIC CREATIVITY: acts in the psycho-ideative field of study of linguistic communication. The Creativity is determined by the mental processes of Constructive Intelligence and Generative Intelligence. The mental processes that characterize Creativity are: the Global Perception, the Personalizing Insights, the Multifaceted Vision, the Cognitive Originality; C) LINGUISTIC METACOMMUNICATION: study the types and modes people use to express thoughts and concepts that go beyond, beyond, what the cognitive and affective contents mean at the level of language and communicative message in the psycho-emotional and socio-cultural field of study of linguistic communication. Linguistic Metacommunication is determined by mental symbols (cultural symbols and psychic symbols) that the person processes and expresses during communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests that metacommunication in young children's social pretend play is the most complex form of cooperation. In this study, metacommunication was examined using audio and video recordings during pretend play. Participants were 24 children in kindergarten average age 5.1 years. Utterances were coded for metacommunication, the narrative content and the social dimension of cooperation. Results show that while the use of metacommunication correlates with the complexity of the narrative, it does not correlate with the complexity of the social dimension. Implications for supporting metacommunication in social pretend play by teachers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Logos: A Journal, of Religion, Philosophy Comparative Cultural Studies & Art (08687692) is the property of Logos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Conspiracy theories are powerful narratives that can decisively shape people's understandings of the world. Despite a long-standing scholarly interest, however, they have not yet been analysed from the angle of metapragmatics. A metapragmatic approach treats the concept of 'conspiracy theory' as a label understood to refer to a certain type of discourse, and the theories themselves as potentially demonstrating specific manifestations of metapragmatic awareness by incorporating the label into their theories. To demonstrate the utility of this approach, the article investigates a conspiracy theory according to which the notion of 'conspiracy theory' itself is ruled by government strategy. The analysis, focused on explicit occurrences of metalanguage and metacommunication, reveals that epistemological arguments and notions such as 'conspiracy theory' and 'evidence' come to be interpreted and judged according to the imagined, stereotypical persona uttering them. Some arguments may then be metacommunicatively denied: denied not based on propositional content, but based on them allegedly representing the 'mainstream'. The article suggests that the label 'conspiracy theory' may hinder rather than resolve disagreements, as it will itself become linked to 'suspect' personae. • 'Conspiracy theory' may be analysed as a metapragmatic label. • A distinct understanding of 'evidence' underlies conspiratorial discourses. • Metacommunicative denials: denying arguments based on who utters them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The English lexical item why can be used metacommunicatively in response to a previous question act. In these cases, its meaning is similar to “Why are you (the original questioner) asking me (the original addressee) that question?” This is also true of why’s counterparts in a range of other languages. We demonstrate how metacommunicative, or meta, why’s use and meaning is similar to and different from the paraphrase above, proposing a modal-driven ontology for why, and explore how different constructions involving meta-why are derived. We argue that meta-why is derived by eliding a question act, a syntactic object larger than a proposition, and provide support for theoretical frameworks in which discourse management and interlocutor commitment acts are encoded in syntax.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to qualitatively analyze metacommunication during the digital storytelling (DST) workshop process for patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Methods: HCT survivors who had undergone transplant within the past 2 years were recruited at a cancer center in the Phoenix Metropolitan area. Participants (M age = 51.5 years) attended a 3-day DST workshop telling and creating digital stories around their HCT experiences. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, line by line coding and content analysis were conducted with four research team members. Results: Four themes emerged from the data: (1) communal connection; (2) expressing and processing emotions; (3) self-empowerment; and (4) multi-dimensional coping. Participants described telling and sharing their story with other HCT patients as therapeutic. Conclusion: DST shows promise as a potential coping tool and offers multiple dimensions of the role of narrative as a coping technique, in community building, and in patient-centered contexts within HCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contact-Maintaining Metacommunicative Listener Questions in Modern English Dialogic Discourse The paper focuses on revealing the mechanisms of maintaining spoken interaction by means of the metacommunicative listener questions in modern English dialogic discourse. The pragmatic and discursive properties of metacommunicative questions functioning at the contact-maintaining stage of the communicative act are singled out. The typology of contact-maintaining metacommunicative listener questions in modern English dialogic discourse is proposed. Contact-maintaining metacommunicative questions are viewed as a specifically oriented functional class of speech units bound by a common communicative purpose, i. e., they aim to control the communicative activity of the interlocutor, regulate the thematic and expressive components of the communicative situation, and to change the interpersonal relations of communication partners, thereby influencing the flow of interaction. Metakomunikatywne pytania odbiorcy wspierające podtrzymanie kontaktu we współczesnym angielskim dyskursie dialogowym Artykuł przedstawia mechanizm utrzymywania interakcji mówionej za pomocą metakomunikacyjnych pytań słuchacza we współczesnym angielskim dyskursie dialogicznym. Wyróżniono pragmatyczne i dyskursywne właściwości pytań metakomunikacyjnych funkcjonujących na etapie utrzymywania kontaktu aktu komunikacyjnego. Zaproponowano typologię metakomunikacyjnych pytań słuchacza, mających na celu utrzymywanie kontaktu we współczesnym angielskim dyskursie dialogowym. Metakomunikacyjne pytania, utrzymujące kontakt słuchacza są postrzegane jako szczególnie ukierunkowany rodzaj funkcji jednostek mowy związanych wspólnym celem komunikacyjnym, czyli mających na celu kontrolowanie aktywności komunikacyjnej rozmówcy, regulację tematycznych i ekspresyjnych elementów sytuacji komunikacyjnej, zmianę relacji interpersonalnych partnerów komunikacyjnych, a tym samym wpływanie na przebieg interakcji.

Today's situation in the various areas of psychotherapy requires the development of effective methods of intervention. The goal of modern psychosomatic therapy is far from focusing on the existing disorder, but on the initial resource to deal with it. If the development of this resource, expressed inabilities that are suppressed, neglected (hidden or overt), or unilaterally manifested, it leads to conflict potential. In a pandemic, the feedback from colleagues around the world, including mine, to them that partnerships within a marriage or cohabitation have sharpened along the courtesy-honesty axis. Treating partnership as "politeness" evoked the ability to allow for a sense of commitment. The existence of a global crisis related to one of the key stressors - human health, has created a culturally dependent relativism in the perception and understanding of psychosocial norms, symptoms, and disease patterns of pre-existing psychosomatic conditions. The micro-and macro-traumatic events, accumulated in the archive of personality concepts, marked an increase in the manifestation of their intensity, as a result of high levels of situational anxiety. Within the framework of psychotherapeutic sessions conducted online in the conditions of a pandemic, only one partial regression could be worked to save the need for restructuring of the personality. The exacerbation of the key dichotomy of "courtesy-honesty" affects functional disorders to occur on an organic and mental syndrome postulated as "Locus minoris residential", causing the secondary psychological benefit of the disease with subsequent entry into the vicious circle of its recurrence. -analytical inventory (DAI) is handled by the psychotherapist. Based on this toolkit, three types of reactions in the conditions of crisis and deteriorating family relations were distinguished: 1. The polite type of reaction: Considering others, one cannot express one's opinion. On the other hand, he hopes that others will have to interact with him on their own, knowing his needs. Frustration is the work of a failed consensus, and the accumulation of expectations under the guise of politeness materializes in a defense mechanism and/or psychosomatic symptoms. 2. The honest type of reaction: It is related to the expression of opinion and statement of needs and desires directly, without detours, regardless of whether he inflicts emotional violence on his partner with his verbalization. The consequences of this type of reaction are guilt. 3. The indecisive type of reaction: It is characterized by a fluctuation between politeness, honesty, and guilt. Communication opportunities need to be developed, which is associated with the courage to express needs. Also, the metacommunicative abilities are engaged, through which a person can detect communication disorders, to study the conditions and causes, to identify misunderstandings, concepts, and to eliminate possible disturbances promptly. The main postulate of the work is getting help for self-help. In this line of thought, the client in many cases verbalizes his conflict and seeks with the help of the therapist a resource to deal with the created conflict on the axis between politeness and honesty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we focus on a specific form of metacommunication found in an emerging digital genre: Hotel reviews posted on TripAdvisor. In particular, we investigate how tourists represent their service encounter interactions. The main goal of the present study is to identify what these digital metacommunicative practices reveal about communicative norms and expectations among groups of reviewers writing in three different languages. We analyzed a multilingual dataset of 1800 reviews written in English, Dutch, and Italian. The results reveal that reviewers commented upon a broad range of aspects when evaluating service encounters interactions, for instance, describing the quality of the interaction (e.g. polite, correct), or a lack of communication when a specific type of communication is expected (e.g. absence of greetings, or apologies after a service failure). Further, we found similar cross-linguistic patterns, such as appreciation for being able to communicate in one's mother tongue during the hotel-guest encounter. At the same time, a few differences across languages emerged, such as the preference for precise and correct information within British reviews. Since service interactions are of fundamental importance for customer satisfaction, our findings contribute not only to the current research on metacommunication in digital contexts, but may also be significant for service providers in the hospitality industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective(s): Psychologists' experiences of an online training tool in metacommunication as well as an in‐supervisory metacommunication exercise were examined. Method: A total of 101 participants completed a training tool in metacommunication and changes in self‐efficacy (SE) to use metacommunication with clients, the proportion of metacommunication used in vignette‐responses, and their willingness to use metacommunication in supervision were assessed pre‐ and posttraining and at 6‐week follow‐up. A total of 48 participants elected to undertake the in‐supervision exercise. Results: Participants reported significantly higher willingness and self‐efficacy after completing the online training. They also showed a higher proportion of metacommunicative statements in their posttraining vignette responses compared with pretraining. The increase in willingness was retained at 6‐week follow‐up. There was an increase in self‐efficacy from pre‐ to postonline‐training, and this increased at follow‐up. Conclusions: This opens the door to better developing metacommunication skills in supervisees through both online training and the metacommunication supervisory exercise. Areas for continued research are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including Russian language, social science discourse and metacommunication.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the experiences of supervisees who completed a metacommunication intervention in supervision. Methods: Forty‐eight supervisees completed the supervisory intervention and gave post‐intervention written feedback. Their responses were thematically analysed. Results: Overall, supervisees responded positively to the intervention, with high willingness to engage in metacommunication again in supervision. Thematic analysis of the reflective written responses completed post‐intervention revealed a rich array of supervisee experiences of the metacommunication exercise. Supervisees spoke of anticipated/intended impacts on supervision and their therapy practice, including: greater depth of reflection, attending to parallel process, discussion of roles, increased closeness, improved openness, and increased confidence in metacommunication. In regard to challenges associated with the supervisory intervention, participants reflected on difficulties with timing, experiences of discomfort and concerns about potential negative reactions from the supervisor, and consideration of power dynamics in supervision. Conclusion: This study shows promising preliminary results of the acceptability and perceived impacts of an experiential intervention involving the use of metacommunication in supervision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examined the use of metacommunication in supervision from supervisees' perspectives. Method: A total of 129 supervisees completed the Metacommunication in Supervision Questionnaire-MSQ, a measure devised for the purpose of this study to explore the frequency and willingness to use various forms of metacommunication in clinical supervision. Measures of the nature of the supervisory relationship (also from the supervisee's perspective) were taken to explore whether a relationship exists between the nature of supervision and supervisees' perspectives on the use of metacommunication. Results: There was general concordance between supervisee ratings of their own willingness and their perception of their supervisor's willingness to use various forms of metacommunication in supervision. There were significant differences in the reported frequency with which the different types of metacommunication are actually used. A factor analysis elicited a two-factor structure underlying the MSQ and significant correlations with measures of the nature of the supervision relationship were observed. It appears that metacommunication around difficult or uncomfortable feelings in the supervisory relationship occurs less often than other components of metacommunication. Conclusion: Future research needs to further validate the MSQ and assess whether the frequency of metacommunication in the supervisory relationship is related to metacommunication in supervisees' psychotherapy with clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]