Incremental Learning and Forgetting in Stochastic Turn-Taking Models

We present a computational framework for stochastically modeling dyad interaction chronograms. The framework’s most novel feature is the capacity for incremental learning and forgetting. To showcase its flexibility, we design experiments answering four concrete questions about the systematics of spoken interaction. The results show that: (1) individuals are clearly affected by one another; (2) there is individual variation in interaction strategy; (3) strategies wander in time rather than converge; and (4) individuals exhibit similarity with their interlocutors. We expect the proposed framework to be capable of answering many such questions with little additional effort.