Ref_Recalibration_Repairs.pdf (327.84 kB)
Reference recalibration repairs: adjusting the precision of formulations for the task at hand
journal contribution
posted on 2014-07-21, 11:19 authored by Gene H. Lerner, Galina B. Bolden, Alexa Hepburn, Jenny MandelbaumThis report examines what is involved when a speaker overtly selects one formulation over
another by employing a repair operation that reformulates a reference in a way that adjusts or
recalibrates it, rather than abandons the original reference altogether. Focusing primarily on
references to persons, we show that beyond the narrowing of a reference – increasing its
precision – that results in an improved fit between a person reference and other components of a
turn-at-talk, these reference recalibration repairs can be used to do such things as meeting the
requirements of a story’s telling, upgrading the credibility of an information source, and
justifying a rejection. This ties speakers’ overt concern with calibrating a categorical reference to
the formation of action in their turn-at-talk. By contrast, we then show how broadening a
reference – decreasing its precision – can be used as a method for displaying uncertainty and
thereby recalibrating a reference to fit the manifest knowledge state of the speaker (or a
recipient).
History
School
- Social Sciences
Department
- Communication, Media, Social and Policy Studies
Published in
RESEARCH ON LANGUAGE AND SOCIAL INTERACTIONVolume
45Issue
2Pages
191 - 212 (22)Citation
LERNER, G.H. ... et al., 2012. Reference recalibration repairs: adjusting the precision of formulations for the task at hand. Research on Language and Social Interaction, 45 (2), pp. 191-212.Publisher
© Taylor & Francis GroupVersion
- AM (Accepted Manuscript)
Publication date
2012Notes
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Research on Language and Social Interaction on 17-05-2012, available online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08351813.2012.674190.ISSN
0835-1813eISSN
1532-7973Publisher version
Language
- en