Simple management in contact situations: What factors determine whether a deviation will be noted or not?

Empirical research has shown that not all deviations from norms occurring in contact situations are noted and that, in fact, many remain unnoted (Fairbrother, 2004; Kon, 2002). Indeed, Neustupný (1985) has proposed that there are “special circumstances” under which native speakers note deviations, such as when the speakers’ metalinguistic attention is drawn to the deviation or when the interlocutor is unfamiliar. Based on our analysis of natural data from a variety of Japanese contact situations, we will examine the factors that determine whether a deviation will be noted or not. In addition to finding evidence of “Neustupný’s “special circumstances”, we will show how the type of deviation, where the deviation occurs within the interaction, the situational context of the interaction, the relationship between the noted deviation and other previously noted deviations, the ethnicity of the interlocutor, and the psychological characteristics of the noter may each influence the noting process.