Human conversation depends on a remarkable capacity to remain present, aligned, and actively involved with another person. This ability, often referred to as interactional engagement, is expressed through subtle, moment-to-moment signals in the body and voice, while also being supported by covert mechanisms in the nervous system.
The EnTiTy project has examined engagement as a multi-level phenomenon shaped by emotions, technology, and socio-cultural aspects. In this closing seminar on June 11 2026, we present key findings on how engagement is expressed in conversation through bodily cues and vocalisations, and how it manifests in brain activity and autonomic nervous system dynamics. We also demonstrate how language and socio-cultural background shape engagement.
Bringing together Finnish interaction researchers and world-leading experts in social neuroscience and sociolinguistics, the seminar highlights how conversation is shaped through the body, language, and technology, and how engagement manifests in human behavior and biology.
Keynote speakers:
Diana Tamir, Professor, Princeton University, Social Neuroscience Lab
Judith Holler, Professor, Radboud University, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics (presentation via Teams)
Other:
Ville Harjunen, PI, University of Helsinki, Interaction Analysis Lab, project leader
Markus Söderman, doctoral researcher, University of Helsinki, Interaction Analysis Lab
Santeri Lepistö, doctoral researcher, University of Helsinki, Interaction Analysis Lab
Pyry Heikkinen, doctoral researcher, University of Helsinki, Interaction Analysis Lab
Jan Lindström, Professor, University of Helsinki, Department of Scandinavian languages and literature
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Programme
9:30–10.00 Morning Coffee
9:55 Opening words
Ruth Illman, Head of Research, Society of Swedish Literature in Finland
10:00–10:15 What Keeps Conversations Going? The Two Faces of Engagement in Interaction
Ville Harjunen
10:15–10.35 How Do We Show We Are Engaged in Conversation? Effects of Culture and Technology
Markus Söderman
10:35–10:55
How Listener Engagement Shapes Speakers’ Emotions
Santeri Lepistö
5 min Break
11:00–11:35 Keynote: How Visual Bodily Signals Shape Utterances and their Interpretation in Face-to-Face Conversation
Judith Holler, Professor, Radboud University (via Teams)
12:00–13:00 Lunchbreak
13:15–13:35 What Makes Us Tune In? Emotional Content and Attentional Engagement in Conversation
Pyry Heikkinen
13:35–14:15 Do Emotionally Engaging Conversations Bring Minds Together? Engagement and Inter-Brain Synchrony
Ville Harjunen
14:15–15:00 Coffee break
15:00–15:35 Keynote: The Neural Dynamics of Good Conversation
Diana Tamir
15:35–15:45 Beyond Single Encounters: Future Directions in Engagement Research
5 min Break
15:50–16:10 Small-group discussions
Hosted by Jan Lindström, Professor, University of Helsinki
16:10–17:00 Plenary synthesis
Hosted by Jan Lindström, Professor, University of Helsinki
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The event is free of charge and open to anyone interested.
The seminar venue is the Event hall at Riddaregatan 5 in Helsinki. Accessible front door, lift and toilets.
The seminar language is English. You can participate in the seminar either on-site in Helsinki or join online via Teams.
Contact:
Andrea Aalto-Granberg, Event producer SLS
+358 40 168 4908
andrea.aalto-granberg@sls.fi / info@sls.fi