completed · MSc dissertation · 2026
Auxiliary adaptation of full-duplex dialogue models
MSc dissertation on adapting and evaluating full-duplex models for conversational coordination.
My MSc dissertation investigated whether auxiliary supervision could improve the conversational coordination of full-duplex dialogue models. I adapted PersonaPlex with dialogue-act and future-activity objectives and built the data, training and evaluation pipelines needed to compare model conditions reproducibly.
The evaluation covered more than 1,000 paired model conversations and a 21-participant listening study. DualTurn supervision improved pause handling but also increased silence, while automatic timing measures did not consistently track listener preference. The project therefore highlighted the importance of testing conversational systems with both behavioural metrics and human judgement.
Supervised by Catherine Lai and Sarenne Wallbridge at the University of Edinburgh.