ANALYSIS OF THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS APPLIED TO FORENSIC CONTEXTS OF INTERACTION

Authors

  • Ana Paula Lopes FLUC

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34630/polissema.vi.5625

Keywords:

Communication process; Multimodality; Gesture Studies; Face-to-face interactions; Forensic contexts; Software.

Abstract

In face-to-face interactions, in addition to the messages conveyed through speech, individuals also communicate information through the body movements they make (Kendon, 2013, p. 7). Under the Gesture Studies’ perspective, hand (gestures), head, torso, and lower limbs’ movements are different modalities that have an equally important role in the communication process. These kinetic movements convey two thirds of what we communicate (Aghayeva, 2011), and ignoring them in an analysis of the communication process means not to consider a substantial amount of information transmitted by speakers (Jones and LeBaron, 2002, p. 512). In the specific situation of face-to-face interactions that take place in a forensic context – at Courts and Law Enforcement Institutions – if we analyse, for legal investigation purposes, only what has been uttered by the speakers, the amount and relevance of the information that is wasted is undeniable. To date, body movements have not been taken into account when it comes to understanding what a suspect or defendant, for example, is transmitting (Lopes, 2020). However, through a multimodal micro-analysis of face-to-face interactions – in which all body movements, along with speech, are analysed – it is possible to get information that otherwise would be lost. This micro-analysis previously developed (Lopes, 2020) showed that these body movements can convey information that had not been verbalised (Lopes, 2020). It has also been shown that this information gains great importance in the context of analysing legal proceedings (Lopes, 2020). It has also become evident the need of linguistic experts’ collaboration in the analysis of interactions that take place in forensic contexts, as well as the need for video recording of the aforementioned interactions (Lopes, 2020).

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Published

2024-05-21

How to Cite

Lopes, A. P. (2024). ANALYSIS OF THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS APPLIED TO FORENSIC CONTEXTS OF INTERACTION. POLISSEMA – ISCAP Journal of Letters, 108–128. https://doi.org/10.34630/polissema.vi.5625

Issue

Section

Research Articles