Conceptualizing ‘interaction’ in interpersonal pragmatics: Implications for understanding and research

Studying interaction between persons is central in the emerging sub-discipline of interpersonal pragmatics. Following Krippendorff (1970), the particular metaphor, model, or theory one employs in conceptualizing interaction both affords and constrains not only one's theorizing, but also one's research on language use between persons. This paper examines metaphors and models commonly employed in studying interaction, arguing that their entailments are deeply consequential in framing one's understanding, as well as one's choices in observing, generating and analyzing data, and interpreting the results of research. These issues are exemplified in examining the implications of conceptualizing interaction in terms of the common encoding/decoding model of language use, versus in terms of an interactional achievement model of human communication.