Behaviorally Aware
Spoken Dialogue Generation
Abstract
Spoken dialogue involves behaviors like turn-taking, interruptions, filler words, and backchannels, which make interactions more natural and engaging but are often overlooked in language models. These models struggle to explicitly model these behavioral traits, resulting in a less natural and personalized communication style that aligns with user needs. To address this challenge, we make two key contributions. First, we introduce Behavior-SD, a large-scale dataset containing over 100K spoken dialogues (2,164 hours) annotated with various conversational behaviors, synthesized via LLMs to model diverse full-duplex interactions. Second, we propose BeDLM, the first dialogue model capable of generating natural conversations conditioned on specific behavioral and narrative contexts, supporting simultaneous contributions from both speakers. Through human evaluations and behavior-adherence metrics, we demonstrate that BeDLM outperforms baseline models in generating natural, coherent, and behaviorally rich dialogues. Our work opens new possibilities for developing behaviorally-aware dialogue systems that more closely mimic human conversational dynamics, enhancing user engagement and communication effectiveness.
Behavior-SD
Samples from Behavior-SD
Narrative:
Harlan laughed when Sofiya said she was too dependent on her parents. "I don't need them to do everything for me," Harlan said. "I can take care of myself."
Behaviors:
| Speaker | Utterance Length | Filler Words | Backchannels | Interruptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harlan | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Sofiya | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Dialogue Transcript:
Sofiya: You know, {Hmm.} I sometimes think I'm too dependent on my parents for everything. {Yeah.} [laughter] {Oh.} It's like I can't do anything without them.
Harlan: [laughter] Oh, Sofiya, I understand what you mean, but really, {Right.} I don't need them to do everything for me. {Okay.} I can take care of myself quite well.
Sofiya: Really? {Yeah.} So you mean, like, you handle all those adult responsibilities on your own {Uh-huh.} without ever turning to them for help?
Harlan: Yeah, exactly. {That's great.} I mean, I handle my own finances, {Oh, really?} make my own meals, and even manage to keep the apartment clean. It's all about, you know, being self-reliant.
Sofiya: That's impressive. But don't you occasionally find yourself in situations where you just need to call them for advice or something?
Harlan: Well, sometimes. I mean, like, sometimes when I have really tough decisions to make... [interrupted]
Sofiya (interrupt): Decisions about your career {Yeah.} or personal life?
Harlan: Yeah, exactly. Especially when it comes to big decisions like that, {I see.} I might reach out just to get their perspective.
Sofiya: That makes sense. I guess it's about finding a balance {Right.} between independence {Yeah.} and knowing when to seek guidance.
Harlan: Precisely. {Okay.} It's not about relying on them for everything. {Mhm.} It's more about, you know, having that support system but still being able to function independently most of the time.
Sofiya: I see what you mean. {Yeah.} Maybe it's something I should strive to achieve myself.
Narrative:
Abbi promises Eamon not to fly because Abbi is afraid of flying.
Behaviors:
| Speaker | Utterance Length | Filler Words | Backchannels | Interruptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbi | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Eamon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Dialogue Transcript:
Abbi: You know, Eamon, this time I'm definitely not flying. I just, I can't handle [interrupted]
Eamon (interrupt): Heights?
Abbi: Exactly! I get so anxious even thinking about it.
Eamon: It's understandable. {Mhm.} We've talked about other ways to get there, like driving or taking a train.
Abbi: Yeah, and driving isn't bad. Actually, it's quite fun. I was planning on making a road trip out of it. Maybe stop by some places on the way, like [interrupted]
Eamon (interrupt): The national parks?
Abbi: Yes! That would be a perfect break from the drive. And you know what, it's way less stressful.
Eamon: Sounds like a good plan. {Yeah!} Let's make sure to plan those stops then.
Abbi: Definitely. And I already promised myself no flights this time, no matter what. You gotta keep me accountable, okay?
Eamon: Of course, {Great.} I've got your back.
Narrative:
Markell was kind enough to invite Moishe to stay the night, even though Moishe was a complete stranger. Markell made sure that Moishe had everything they needed and even offered to make them breakfast in the morning.
Behaviors:
| Speaker | Utterance Length | Filler Words | Backchannels | Interruptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Markell | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Moishe | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Dialogue Transcript:
Markell: So, do you need anything else to be comfortable tonight?
Moishe: Uh, you know, I think I have everything I need. It's, um, really nice of you to, uh, offer me a place to stay. I didn’t expect, um, such hospitality from someone I just met.
Markell: No problem. Happy to help.
Moishe: Well, uh, in the morning, I usually like, um, a bit of breakfast to start my day. I've heard, uh, it's the most important meal, and I like to make it sort of detailed with eggs, toast, sometimes a bit of, uh [interrupted]
Markell (interrupt): I’ll make us breakfast. Eggs sound good?
Moishe: Yeah, that's great! Thank you. And, uh, if you don't mind me saying, your hospitality reminds me of this friend I used to have who would, uh, always welcome guests warmly, {Oh, really?} always eager to provide, sort of, a complete experience {Hmm} whether it be with food, comfort, or just, you know [interrupted]
Markell (interrupt): Glad to hear that. Rest up.
Moishe: Thanks again, Markell. {You're welcome.} It's, um, really appreciated. I, uh, had a long day and was just thinking of how to unwind with, uh [interrupted]
Markell (interrupt): Coffee or tea for breakfast?
Moishe: Oh, uh, tea would be lovely. Thanks!
Narrative:
Illiana and Jerred got into a fight because Jerred wouldn't let Illiana borrow his car. As punishment, Jerred made Illiana clean his room and do all the chores for a week.
Behaviors:
| Speaker | Utterance Length | Filler Words | Backchannels | Interruptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illiana | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Jerred | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Dialogue Transcript:
Illiana: You know, Jerred, I've been thinking, like, that maybe I didn't exactly deserve the whole, um, punishment thing with your car, you know?
Jerred: I mean, it wasn't just about borrowing the car. It's also about trust, Illiana.
Illiana: Right, but I was super careful the last time I borrowed it, and, um, I only needed it for a really quick trip. So, it's like, not a big deal or anything, but [interrupted]
Jerred (interrupt): You were late the last time. {Uh-huh.} That's why it felt risky.
Illiana: I guess. But making me clean your room and do all those chores? It's, like, pretty excessive, don't you think?
Jerred: Well, you learned your lesson, right? That was the point.
Illiana: Yeah, I learned that doing chores isn't exactly fun. But still, I mean, maybe if we, you know, talked it through a bit more, we could figure out a better way [interrupted]
Jerred (interrupt): Like, just asking directly next time, maybe. Communication helps.
Illiana: For sure, I get that. So, next time, I'll just, um, run it by you beforehand, and maybe we could come to some sort of mutual agreement on the whole, you know, borrowing deal without going into punishment territory.
Jerred: Sounds good. Let's just keep things smooth next time.
BeDLM
(Behavior-conditioned Dialogue Language Model)
We introduce BeDLM, a spoken dialogue language model designed to generate simultaneous two-channel speech conditioned on conversational behaviors and a narrative. BeDLM is trained on Behavior-SD, a large-scale dataset containing over 100K spoken dialogues annotated with conversational behaviors and narratives.
Comparison of generated dialogues from BeDLM and baselines
| Sample 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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Narrative: Chastity is happy because he gets to go out with Tafari again. He really likes her and enjoys spending time with her. They always have a lot of fun together. |
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Behaviors: Chastity: Utterance Length (2), Filler Words (0), Backchannels (1), Interruptions (2) Tafari: Utterance Length (2), Filler Words (0), Backchannels (1), Interruptions (1) |
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| Ground Truth | BeDLM (ours) | dGSLM | Cascaded |