Observing Interaction: An Introduction to Sequential Analysis

by John M. Gottman

Mothers and infants exchanging gleeful vocalizations, married couples discussing their problems, children playing, birds courting, and monkeys fighting, have this in common: their interaction unfolds over time. Almost anyone who is interested can observe and describe such phenomena. But usually scientists demand more. They want observations that are replicable and amenable to scientific analysis while still faithful to the dynamics of the phenomena studied. Observing Interaction provides a straightforward and clear introduction to scientific methods for observing social behaviour. Due to the importance of time in the dynamics of social interaction, sequential approaches to analysing and understanding social behaviour are emphasized. This book constitutes a guide for anyone who wants to study social behaviour in a systematic fashion. An advanced knowledge of statistical analysis is not required. Instead, the authors present conceptual fundamentals and offer considerable practical advice.

240 pages, Hardcover

First published May 31, 1986

About the author

Dr. Gottman was one of the Top 10 Most Influential Therapists of the past quarter-century by the Psychotherapy Networker. He is the author or co-author of over 200 published academic articles and more than 40 books, including the bestselling The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work; What Makes Love Last; Eight Dates: Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love; The Relationship Cure; Why Marriages Succeed or Fail; and Raising An Emotionally Intelligent Child — among many others. Dr. Gottman’s media appearances include Good Morning America, Today, CBS Morning News, and Oprah, as well articles in The New York Times, Ladies Home Journal, Redbook, Glamour, Woman’s Day, People, Self, Reader’s Digest, and Psychology Today.

Co-founder of The Gottman Institute and co-founder of Affective Software, Inc. with his wife, Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman, John was also the Executive Director of the Relationship Research Institute. He is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Washington, where he founded “The Love Lab” at which much of his research on couples’ interactions was conducted.