Turn transition time in the map task: visual cues and electronic transmission delays

Prior research reported longer transition times between speakers over Zoom than in person, for natural conversations, without any explicit task. The current study examined transition times within a cooperative Map Task. In-person conversations were compared with video conferencing or digital phone conversations in Experiments 1 and 2 respectively. In Experiment 1 electronically mediated conversations had more variable transition times, but only Experiment 2, when the interlocutor was not visible, had longer transition times for electronically mediated conversations. Participants wore facial masks, but the available visual cues for turn-taking included posture, gaze, and movement of the head. The increased variability of transition times in the remote conditions of both experiments provides weak, indirect evidence consistent with the use of neural oscillations in the timing of turn-taking, but the most significant finding was that the opportunity to view bodily movements of one’s interlocutor had a strong impact on turn transition times.