Abstract
In conversation, the listener plays an active role in conversation success, specifically by providing listener feedback which signals comprehension and interest. Previous work has shown that frequency of feedback positively correlates with conversation success. Because individuals with ASD are known to struggle with various conversational skills, e.g., turn-taking and commenting, this study examines their use of listener feedback by comparing the frequency of feedback produced by 20 adolescents with ASD and 23 neurotypical (NT) adolescents. We coded verbal and nonverbal listener feedback during the time when participants were listening in a semi-structured interview with a research assistant. Results show that ASD participants produced significantly fewer instances of listener feedback than NT adolescents, which likely contributes to difficulties with social interactions.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1007-1018 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders |
| Volume | 52 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Early online date | 10 Apr 2021 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 31 Mar 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work was funded by NIH, grant number NIH-NIDCD R01 DC012774-01 (Grossman, PI). We thank the children and families who supported this research. We also thank the volunteers at the FACE Lab who helped with listener feedback and gaze coding.
Keywords
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Backchanneling
- Communication
- Conversation
- Eye contact
- Gaze
- Listener feedback
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Developmental and Educational Psychology