# Acoustic and Facial Markers of Perceived Conversational Success in Spontaneous Speech

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.15322 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.15322/

## Key facts

- Cited by 2 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 3 of its 18 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 3 Mar 2026.

## Builds on (most cited first, 3 of 3)

- [Cross-domain Neural Pitch and Periodicity Estimation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2301.12258/) (2023)
- [A Context-Aware Computational Approach for Measuring Vocal Entrainment in Dyadic Conversations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2211.03279/) (2022)
- [Measuring Entrainment in Spontaneous Code-switched Speech](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2311.07703/) (2023)

## Built on by (most cited first, 2 of 2)

- [Distributional Metrics for Evaluating Spoken Conversational Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.31719/) (2026)
- [Articulatory Entrainment and Coordination Complexity in Spontaneous Autistic and Non-autistic Dialogue](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2610.04071/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Individuals often align their speaking patterns with their interlocutors, a phenomenon linked to engagement and rapport. While well documented in task-oriented dialogues, less is known about entrainment in naturalistic, non-task and virtual settings. In this study, we analyze a large corpus of spontaneous dyadic Zoom conversations to examine how conversational dynamics relate to perceived interaction quality. We extract multimodal features encompassing turn-taking, pauses, facial movements, and acoustic measures such as pitch and intensity. Perceived conversational success was quantified via factor analysis of post-conversation ratings. Results demonstrate that entrainment reliably detected in spontaneous speech and correlates with higher perceived success. These findings identify key interactional markers of conversational quality and highlight opportunities for targeted interventions to foster more effective and engaging communication.