D-1 Gender and conversational interruption: A qualitative content analysis of five TV Discussion segments

Buller Room 208

This study explores the discourse pattern of conversational interruption as it relates to gender. A qualitative content analysis of an all-female and mixed gender panel revealed that discourse patterns such as interruption could not be attributed solely to gender differences but to other factors related to social context such as topic, status, interpersonal relations among panel members, group size and limited floor space. Similar results were obtained in a follow-up study of two all-male panels and an all-female panel. While gender-based discourse patterns were found, the social context in which these discourse patterns occurred was also an important factor.