One type of paralinguistic behavior that considers the length of time between the last word of the interrogator's question and the first word of the subject's response is ______.

• A. Processing delay
• B. Reaction time
• C. Pause
• D. Response latency

Answer: (D)

Turn-taking timing in conversation is a paralinguistic cue that shows how long a speaker takes to start replying after a prompt. The specific measure here is the interval from the interrogator’s last word to the subject’s first word, which captures the overall delay before a response begins. This is called response latency, because it reflects the latency—or delay—in generating and initiating the reply.

This term fits because it encompasses the processing and planning time needed before speaking, not just a moment of silence or a simple reaction to a stimulus. While a pause describes the silent gap itself, and reaction time or processing delay are broader or more task-specific concepts, response latency precisely names the response-initiating delay in dialogue.