ABSTRACT
Group conversations are a mixture of simple and complex patterns of sounds and silence. In some cases the conversation is a series of monologues; group members take turns talking and these turns are separated by silence. In more complex cases, the speakers interrupt one another, and sometimes several or even all group members speak at once. In this chapter we discuss an automatic technique we have been using to gain some understanding of the nature and effect of conversations in groups. We have focused on group conversations because we believe they are useful indicators of group interaction.
