Analyzing Conversations

Do you analyze conversations that you have on a daily basis?  I do.  Most introverts do, I think. The conversations that I have, even email messages, run through my head until I put them to rest. I must admit to even analyzing anonymous conversations that I overhear in stores, offices, restaurants, and campuses.  It's nosy, but it's such a great way to learn more about human nature!

Analyzing communication is not a new idea.   An English language philosopher, Paul Grice, wrote about the Cooperative Principle in 1975.  He observed that most conversation partners cooperate with one another in order to have effective communication.  The Cooperative Principle breaks down into four maxims. 

MAXIM OF QUANTITY  Each speaker gives no more or no less information than is required. Let's take the idea of more information first.  As an example, when I ask for directions, I often find that people overwhelm me with details that I can't remember anyway.  A few simple directions like "Right turn on Elm, left turn on First, first house on the right" would help me considerably. Sometimes my husband Wayne will relate a conversation that he has had and remark, "And he told me a whole lot more than I wanted to know." The Maxim of Quantity had been violated, I'm sure.

Now for the idea of less information.  Someone announces, "I got a new bread machine for Christmas."  A second person asks, "What have you made?"  First speaker answers, "Bread."  Hmm.  I might need to call in a psychologist to analyze that response!

MAXIM OF QUALITY  Each speaker speaks the truth and bases information on sufficient evidence. Husband to wife:  "Are you cold?"  Wife:  "No, I enjoy sitting in a meat locker."  A bit of sarcasm here, I believe.  I hope this marriage survives!

MAXIM OF RELATION   Each speaker contributes information relevant to the subject.  

First diner:  "Do you want dessert?  Second diner:  "Does the sun come up in the east?"  The first diner has to do a bit of thinking to realize that the second diner is saying "Yes."

MAXIM OF MANNER  Each speaker should speak in a clear fashion, avoiding vagueness, ambiguity, and wordiness.  Someone once told me that a neighbor "slept on the other side of the bed." Which side is the other side, I wondered?   It took me a few minutes to realize that the description was a euphemism for "gay."

Do we always follow the Cooperative Principle?  Probably not, and that's where concepts like humor, lying, sarcasm, and withholding information come into play.  Another interesting idea would be to determine if other cultures use the Cooperative Principle for communication in the same way as we do in English (I'll bet they don't!)

This YouTube video about violations to the Conversational Maxims should give you a good laugh!