Sequential notation and analysis for bodily forms of communication

Human interaction is a dynamic process that unfolds in time between two or more people and that is typically characterized by mutual influence; participants in interaction coordinate in time various aspects of their own behavior (e.g., speech and gestures) with other people’s behavior (e.g., different turns of talk). Sequential analysis is a quantitative approach that emphasizes measurement and utilizes traditional research instruments for data collection and analysis in the attempt to grasp interactive processes without losing the dynamic processes of interaction. The Sequential Data Interchange Standard (SDIS) allows users to code data based on time (states and timed-events) and on events (intervals, simple and multi-events), using a basic common language based on a universal data grid and developing particular notation. Using this language allows users to analyze basic interactive processes (e.g., reciprocity, coordination, divergence, etc.) in a way that reflects their dynamic and sequential aspect. The contribution provides both worked research examples and brief hints on which kind of sequential analysis can be fruitfully applied to proper data.