Self-reference and pursuing response in Question-Answer session: Why do people say, “Didn’t that answer your question?”

Abstract

This study investigated self-referential utterances made by lecturers during Question-Answer (Q&A) sessions in online training, such as “Didn’t that answer your question?” It aimed to understand why speakers make these self-references either before or after providing an answer. The analysis revealed that self-references typically occurred after an answer had been given and no immediate response from the questioner followed. In these instances, self-references functioned as a way to mark the completion of the answer and prompt a response from the questioner. These utterances often involved downgrading the status of the answer or checking its adequacy. The analysis also showed that these self-deprecating remarks were oriented toward preference organization (Pomerantz, 1985a). By offering a self-deprecating statement, the speaker invited a preferred response of disconfirmation (e.g., “No, your answer was fine”) from the questioner. This interactional mechanism helped manage turn-taking and encouraged the questioner to provide a relevant follow-up, thereby advancing the Q&A session. Additionally, in the online environment—where visual cues may be absent—these self-references served as an important tool for lecturers to gauge whether their answers were understood and accepted. Pre-answer self-references, on the other hand, were used to manage potential difficulties in the upcoming explanation. In sum, self-reference emerged as a strategic practice for managing both the completion and reception of answers during online Q&A sessions.