Account sequences in conversations between strangers

The account sequence is proposed as a mechanism by which parties to initial encounters deal with the discovery of dissimilarity and other conversational “disagreeables.” A classification of offense, reproach, account, and evaluation forms is offered. The recorded conversations of 50 pairs of strangers were examined for the presence of account sequences. Each sequence was coded for type of offense, type of reproach, account strategy, and form of evaluation of the account. Persons were found to be likely to omit accounting when reproached for interaction offenses, work/school offenses, and personal identity offenses, or when the form of the reproach was a direct rebuke or imputation of moral/intellectual superiority of the reproacher. Excuses were most likely to be offered for offenses of taste/attitude/belief, work/school, and personal identity. Reproached individuals refused to account for personal identity and taste/attitude/belief offenses more often than other types; they also refused when the reproach forms direct rebuke, moral/intellectual superiority, and direct request for account were employed. Evaluation behavior was shown to vary only with the immediately preceding account. Honoring was the evaluation form most often associated with the account strategy excuse. Evaluators were significantly likely to retreat if the account‐giver conceded or justified. When the account strategy was doesn't account, justify, or refuse, there was a significant tendency for evaluators to reject/take issue/reinstate the reproach. Finally, when the reproached individual did not account, one evaluation form significantly associated with the omission was drop/switch topic.