Table 4: Bot responses after self-initiated repair
Table 4 shows that, based on this small data set, some self-repair strategies have a higher success ratio than others. The strategy with the highest overall success rate – though not one that was frequently used – was to simply restate the purpose, leading to a relevant response in every single case. Accommodation, late accommodation and changing choices also had a more than 50% success rate. Rephrasing – one of the numerically most frequently used strategies – and changing the topic were successful in approximately half of all instances, whereas simply repeating a previously used turn or asking a question were least likely to be successful.
Generally, users who are able to work through misunderstanding quickly (within one or two user turns after the repairable) – deploy those strategies which have got a higher success ratio:
Example (5)
1 Can I eat before an mri