Elucidating the Process of Relationship Building in Contact Situations

Focusing on the Interplay Between Presuppositions and “Consciousness”

Abstract

This short-term longitudinal study observes and analyzes how communicative agents build relationships in contact situations by focusing on the interplay between their presuppositions and “consciousness.” In this research, three graduate students (I, N, and Y) from the same program participated as research subjects. They engaged in monthly conversation sessions over six months, beginning with near-first-encounter interactions. Follow-up interviews conducted after each session provided the data for analysis. The findings revealed that Y and I initially had different presuppositions regarding relationship-building, leading to discrepancies in their awareness of the relationship. However, through repeated conversations, they began to understand each other's presuppositions about relationships, fostering a sense of similarity and leading to a more positive view of their relationship. In contrast, Y and N had similar presuppositions at the outset. However, as conversations progressed, they realized they had differences in their presuppositions about relationships. Consequently, their expectations shifted from deepening the relationship to maintaining the status quo. Thus, in early contact stages, communicative agents form impressions of each other without fully grasping each other’s presuppositions about relationships. This forms their “consciousness” regarding the relationship. However, the study revealed that understanding the other's presuppositions about relationships through repeated conversations plays a crucial role in relationship development.