2. A framework for studying conversation

The results are organized according to an analytic framework that distinguishes between three related levels of conversation. Low-level features can be observed directly, vary over short time periods, and often relate to conversational structure (e.g., a pause at the end of a speaker’s turn). Mid-level features are generally inferred indirectly by human perceivers or algorithms that approximate human perception, vary on a medium-frequency or turn-by-turn basis, and capture linguistic or paralinguistic conversational content (e.g., a happy facial expression or vocal emotional intensity). High-level features relate to people’s subjective judgments of a conversation (e.g., post-conversation-reported enjoyment or people’s evaluations of their partner). Work exploring the interplay between levels will represent an increasingly common and important type of research.