The Development of Turn-Taking and Gaze Behaviour

Abstract

People interact every day with others, whether it be at home, at work, or at school. These spontaneous conversations are highly structured and run smoothly with some overlap and gaps occurring from time to time. How do conversational turn-taking and gaze behaviour develop? In this literature review, a concise overview will be given on the development of these interactional skills in caregiver-child interactions. First, concepts important to understanding turn-taking and gaze behaviour will be discussed: the turn-taking mechanism, types of overlaps during conversations, and the role of gaze in conversations. Then the development of interactional skills in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Finally, limitations, avenues for future research, and implications for AI will be discussed.