# Turn-taking fluency in free conversations with individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia

## TL;DR

This study finds that people with schizophrenia have less fluent conversations, which affects how others want to interact with them.

## Contribution

The study introduces free conversation analysis to examine turn-taking fluency in schizophrenia, linking it to social outcomes and symptoms.

## Key findings

- Conversations with individuals with schizophrenia had more and longer gaps and fewer overlaps.
- Longer gaps in speech reduced others' willingness to interact again.
- Schizophrenia symptoms were linked to disruptions in both the speaker's and partner's fluency.

## Abstract

Disruptions in language processing observed in Individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia (ISZ) are likely to impair turn-taking fluency and social functioning. While turn-taking research in ISZ is limited and mostly interview-based, this study examines fluency differences between ISZ and controls in free conversations and their links to social outcomes and symptoms. We recruited 20 ISZ, 20 healthy interacting partners (IP), and 20 matched controls (MAT). Each IP, unaware of the ISZ diagnosis, had a 6-min conversation with an ISZ and a MAT, and then rated their willingness to interact again. Voice recordings were analyzed for pauses, gaps, and overlaps. Results revealed that conversations with ISZ featured fewer overlaps, more and longer gaps, and extended pauses. Additionally, the gap duration influenced participants’ willingness to engage in future interactions. ISZ symptoms disrupted their speech and were linked to longer gaps and pauses in their partner’s speech. This study extends fluency research in ISZ by shedding light on natural conversational dynamics.