Abstract:
interesting dataset to study. This research aims to investigate topic shift in conversation in Thai telephone and app-based conversations on LINE and Facebook Messenger. This research investigates aspects such as conversation topic shift patterns, linguistic markers of topic shift, and their frequency of occurrence. It explores whether gender factors influence topic shift in conversations. Additionally, it analyzes and compares topic shifts in telephone-based conversations and app-based conversations. The data for this study are collected from 115 conversations involving male participants and 115 conversations involving female participants. The study found that, overall, topic shifts most frequently occurred in the same turn, as immediate shifts, and as unilateral shifts. Regarding the content of new topics, shifts related to the other party in the conversation were the most common. In terms of the relationship between topics, the most frequent type of shifts was introducing an unrelated topic (an entirely new topic). In terms of linguistic markers of topic shift, it was found that no markers of topic shift were more prevalent than markers. The most frequently observed markers of topic shift were cohesive markers, markers expressing sudden thought, and markers of calling the other party. These types of linguistic markers primarily serve to signal shifts in conversation topics and may have additional functions depending on their specific type. Regarding gender factors, the researcher studied both quantitative and qualitative aspects. Quantitatively, the study found no significant statistical difference between male and female participants in the frequency of topic shifts. Therefore, gender does not have an overall effect on topic shifts. However, in the qualitative study, it was found that males and females differ in three ways: changing topics following silence, the content of the new topic, and the topic shift markers. These differences reflect the distinct linguistic styles of males and females. Specifically, males tend to converse in a "straightforward" manner, while females tend to converse with "consideration for participation." The results of the study comparing telephone conversations and chat application conversations found that the differing characteristics of the two modes of communication, particularly in terms of conversation continuity and timing, result in differences in how topics are shifted. The differences in the identification of spacing between messages in LINE and Facebook Messenger did not have an overall effect on topic shifts.