Pragmatic effects of 'so' in reasons for the sport psychology consultation

Abstract

The present study examined the instructional video, Virtual Sport Psychology: Three Approaches to Sport Psychology Consulting (Brewer, Van Raalte, & Petitpas, 2000) in which three distinguished sport psychologists display how they work with the same athlete-client. The study focused on unexpected variability in closing the reason for the sport psychology consultation sequences. Conversation analysis of the so-prefaced talk showed the incoming speaker beginning after, during, and before the current speaker’s so. It showed the sport psychologists monitoring the turn, sharing the turn, and interrupting and closing the turn, respectively. The results showed that 'so' marks a potential turn and topic transition location within the participation framework of this talk that is open to negotiation. Hearers take up the option but display three different shifts in responsibility to complete the reason for the consultation sequence. These findings have some pedagogical implications for characterising turn exchange in sport psychology professional training. Furthermore, they focus interest on interactional variance in displays of exemplary practice.