Available? At the interface of focused and unfocused interaction

Focused interaction, where the participants have a shared purpose for the interaction—usually built through speech and gaze—is an important prerequisite for the formation of social relationships and the accomplishment of social activities. However, a large part of human interaction consists of unfocused interaction, in which participants share the same space and an awareness of each other’s presence, but do not necessarily talk to one another or share the same focus of attention. We examine how people communicate in this kind of unfocused interaction and how they indicate whether they are available or unavailable for focused interaction. We also ask what role unfocused interaction plays in accomplishing tasks, sustaining social relationships, and reaching mutual understanding.

We study unfocused interaction in four different contexts where fluctuations in availability are crucial yet still understudied: (1) between romantic couples, and (2) between parents and children in participants’ homes; (3) among students and teachers in open learning spaces and (4) among employees in open office spaces. Our approach draws on video ethnography and the study of multimodal interaction. By analyzing authentic video-recorded everyday interactions, we investigate how people use spatial positioning, body posture, and patterns of movement to communicate their (un)availability.

With this knowledge, we make visible—and practically meaningful—the tension between idealized expectations of interaction and the realities of everyday life. For example, we consider what “quality time” in a family actually is, what counts as sufficient teacher availability in a school culture that emphasizes self-directed learning, and how the boundaries between unfocused and focused interaction are defined in open office spaces. We combine different theoretical and methodological approaches and academic disciplines, including social psychology, sociology, and educational sciences.