On Defining Conversational Coordination and Rapport

The construct of rapport is arguably one of the central, if not the central, construct necessary to understanding successful helping relationships and to explaining the development of personal relationships. The role of nonverbal behavior in initiating and signaling rapport has its roots in the work of Watzlawick, Beavin, and Jackson (1967). Tickle-Degnen and Rosenthal substantially advance our knowledge about the relationship between rapport and nonverbal behavior in the meta-analyses presented in this and other articles (see Tickle-Degnen & Rosenthal, 1987). My purpose in this response is to offer a critical reaction to the conceptual analyses of this article and to end with what, I hope, are constructive suggestions.