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pragmatic_and_sociolinguistic_considerations [2018/06/14 00:35] miket_forty7ronin.com |
pragmatic_and_sociolinguistic_considerations [2019/08/07 16:16] (current) lisa.illgen_concentrix.com |
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| ==== Pragmatic and Sociolinguistic Considerations ==== | ==== Pragmatic and Sociolinguistic Considerations ==== | ||
| === Be relevant === | === Be relevant === | ||
| - | [[Conversational Maxims | Relevance]] is the key characteristic of one of the four [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Grice| Gricean maxims]] -- relation. Grice noted that there is an assumption of a principle of cooperation among the participants in a conversation—in Grice’s words (1975, p. 45), “Make your conversational contribution such as is required, at the stage at which it occurs, by the accepted purpose or direction of the talk exchange in which you are engaged.” Research by Polkosky (2008) found that of four key elements of VUI usability, the most important was User Goal Orientation – the extent to which the IVR kept moving the caller toward completion of the desired goal. | + | [[Conversational Maxims | Relevance]] is the key characteristic of one of the four [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Grice| Gricean maxims]] -- relation. Grice noted that there is an assumption of a principle of cooperation among the participants in a conversation—in Grice’s words ([[references#grice|1975]], p. 45), “Make your conversational contribution such as is required, at the stage at which it occurs, by the accepted purpose or direction of the talk exchange in which you are engaged.” Research by Polkosky ([[references#polkosky2008|2008]]) found that of four key elements of VUI usability, the most important was User Goal Orientation – the extent to which the IVR kept moving the caller toward completion of the desired goal. |
| **// Limit the number of words and sentences //**\\ | **// Limit the number of words and sentences //**\\ | ||
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| * Use pronouns, contractions, and ellipsis to avoid excessive repetition and reduce length. Ellipsis is the omission of a word or phrase necessary for a complete syntactical construction but not necessary for understanding, for example, “Transfer funds from your checking account, savings, or money market?” rather than “Transfer funds from your checking account, your savings account, or your money market account?” | * Use pronouns, contractions, and ellipsis to avoid excessive repetition and reduce length. Ellipsis is the omission of a word or phrase necessary for a complete syntactical construction but not necessary for understanding, for example, “Transfer funds from your checking account, savings, or money market?” rather than “Transfer funds from your checking account, your savings account, or your money market account?” | ||
| - | At the end of the day, it's a balancing act between clarity and brevity. Craft messages that “thread the needle” between the goals of conciseness and appropriate, conversational service provider tone (Polkosky, 2008). This is not easy. It takes time and multiple drafts and reviews. In a famous quotation, Pascal apologizes for the length of a letter because he didn’t have the time to make it shorter. VUI designers must make the time. | + | At the end of the day, it's a balancing act between clarity and brevity. Craft messages that “thread the needle” between the goals of conciseness and appropriate, conversational service provider tone ([[references#polkosky2008|Polkosky, 2008]]). This is not easy. It takes time and multiple drafts and reviews. In a famous quotation, Pascal apologizes for the length of a letter because he didn’t have the time to make it shorter. VUI designers must make the time. |
| ==== Don't play unnecessary non-speech audio ==== | ==== Don't play unnecessary non-speech audio ==== | ||
| Another potential source of unnecessary audio is in non-speech audio, especially in branding tones; for example, Sprint’s sound of a pin dropping. When used in radio or television spots, the timing is such that the branding audio will fit. When re-used in an IVR, there can be elements of the branding audio that make it last longer than it sounds – especially if there is an echo or fading effect. | Another potential source of unnecessary audio is in non-speech audio, especially in branding tones; for example, Sprint’s sound of a pin dropping. When used in radio or television spots, the timing is such that the branding audio will fit. When re-used in an IVR, there can be elements of the branding audio that make it last longer than it sounds – especially if there is an echo or fading effect. | ||
| - | When designing audio formatting, keep the tones short: tones can be as short as 50−75 ms, and should typically be no longer than 500−1000 ms (Balentine & Morgan, 2001). Shorter tones are generally less obtrusive, so callers are more likely to perceive them as useful rather than distracting. If re-using branding tones, analyze them for trimming opportunities to ensure that they do not waste any time, but be sure to work with the enterprise's marketing department to get their buy-in on any edits – enterprises take their branding very seriously. | + | When designing audio formatting, keep the tones short: tones can be as short as 50−75 ms, and should typically be no longer than 500−1000 ms ([[references#balentine2001|Balentine & Morgan, 2001]]). Shorter tones are generally less obtrusive, so callers are more likely to perceive them as useful rather than distracting. If re-using branding tones, analyze them for trimming opportunities to ensure that they do not waste any time, but be sure to work with the enterprise's marketing department to get their buy-in on any edits – enterprises take their branding very seriously. |
| The key here is "unnecessary." Not all non-speech audio qualifies. Specifically, see the section below on waiting. | The key here is "unnecessary." Not all non-speech audio qualifies. Specifically, see the section below on waiting. | ||
| ==== Use discourse markers judiciously ==== | ==== Use discourse markers judiciously ==== | ||
| - | The pragmatic purpose of discourse markers in conversation is to indicate a relation between the most recently spoken utterance and the next one (Cohen et al., 2004; Gleason & Ratner, 1993). | + | The pragmatic purpose of discourse markers in conversation is to indicate a relation between the most recently spoken utterance and the next one ([[references#cohen|Cohen et al., 2004]]; [[references#gleason|Gleason & Ratner, 1993]]). |
| Some common discourse marker types and examples are: | Some common discourse marker types and examples are: | ||
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| * Signal problem: oh, hmm, sorry | * Signal problem: oh, hmm, sorry | ||
| - | Properly used, discourse markers can provide concise guidance to callers regarding the direction of the conversation. Probably the most common types used in VUIs are enumerative (when providing a list of instructions), transitional (when changing topics -- e.g., "By the way, did you know you're eligible for a free upgrade?"), acknowledgement, and signal problem. Think of discourse markers as a kind of spice to use when crafting conversations -- just the right amount at just the right time. Also, keep in mind that some common discourse markers (e.g., “OK”) can have very different meanings depending on the intonation, so be sure to specify the intonation when necessary (Lewis, 2011). | + | Properly used, discourse markers can provide concise guidance to callers regarding the direction of the conversation. Probably the most common types used in VUIs are enumerative (when providing a list of instructions), transitional (when changing topics -- e.g., "By the way, did you know you're eligible for a free upgrade?"), acknowledgement, and signal problem. Think of discourse markers as a kind of spice to use when crafting conversations -- just the right amount at just the right time. Also, keep in mind that some common discourse markers (e.g., “OK”) can have very different meanings depending on the intonation, so be sure to specify the intonation when necessary ([[references#lewis2011|Lewis, 2011]]). |
| Be cognizant of overuse of the same ones, especially the acknowledgments. Change them up some to keep the system from sounding repetitive and robotic. | Be cognizant of overuse of the same ones, especially the acknowledgments. Change them up some to keep the system from sounding repetitive and robotic. | ||