ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the empirical findings relating to the relational aspect of deliberation. The term ‘relational’ here is understood as the interactions across speakers and the connections that are created between them as they engage in conversation. The chapter has two dimensions: a quantitative one composed of statistical results relating to the contagion effect hypothesis and a qualitative one composed of the interview responses of the ‘relational’ questions. Those interview questions relate to the contagion effect, intentions behind engaging in reciprocity, feelings of empathy as well as the things that the delegates learn from their interactions in the IMO. Both quantitative and qualitative dimensions focus on the deliberative interactions and dynamics happening across speakers. The two guiding questions of this chapter are: is there a contagion effect taking place during the IMO deliberations? and what are the views of the IMO delegates on the other ‘relational’ aspects of the deliberative process? Together, the findings of this chapter reveal and emphasise the significance of the human interactions happening inside the IMO and also demonstrate the importance of taking human interactions into account when studying international interactions within IOs and during global governance.
