Conversational Flow

Conversational Flow

Reviewed by Faisal Zaidi

The shared, fluent rhythm of talk in which turns follow one another with short gaps, and which supports belonging and a sense of agreement.

What it is

Namkje Koudenburg, Tom Postmes and Ernestine Gordijn found that inserting a brief silence of a few seconds into a conversation, after a mildly controversial remark, raised feelings of rejection and lowered belonging, self-esteem and the sense that the group agreed. Smooth flow, by contrast, went with feeling included.

In effect

In the article on why we feel awkward, it explains why a short pause can feel so loud: it breaks a rhythm people use to sense that they belong.

What it does not say

It shows the effect of brief silences in scenarios and videos. It does not say every pause signals rejection.

Sources

  1. Koudenburg, N., Postmes, T., & Gordijn, E. H. (2011). Disrupting the flow: How brief silences in group conversations affect social needs. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 47(2), 512-515.