Conversational dynamics of joint attention and shared emotion predict outcomes in interpersonal influence situations: an interaction ritual perspective.

This article investigates conversational dynamics in interpersonal influence situations through the lens of interaction ritual theory, focusing on how sequential transitions between task and positive social–emotional acts in conversations contribute to emergent solidarity and influence outcomes. Using two experimental datasets of online text chats—one on advice-giving with a student sample (336 conversations) and another on compliance-gaining with a Mechanical Turk sample (737 conversations)—the study identifies specific transition patterns (notably TE–TE and T–TE, where turns contain both task and social–emotional acts or transition from task to combined acts) that predict greater perceived effectiveness, behavioral compliance, and positive interpersonal perceptions. Less-functional transitions, such as those involving unreciprocated or solely task-based acts (e.g., T–T), were found to have trivial or negative effects on these outcomes. The findings suggest that moment-to-moment coordination of joint attention (task focus) and shared positive emotion (social–emotional acts) underpins successful interpersonal influence, supporting the application of interaction ritual theory to mediated communication contexts. The study highlights the importance of micro-social interaction patterns in shaping influence beyond message content, while noting limitations related to ecological validity and the complexity of conversational dynamics.