Agreement and self-praise in response to manipulative complimentary utterances 

Abstract.

AGREEMENT AND SELF-PRAISE IN RESPONSE TO MANIPULATIVE COMPLIMENTARY UTTERANCES

Iryna Shkitska

the Department of Information and Sociocultural Activities, West Ukrainian National University, Ternopil, Ukraine.

Abstract

Background: Despite the substantial body of research by linguists in the field of complimentary utterances and responses to them, reactions to positive evaluative utterances in situations of manipulative influence remain insufficiently studied. In light of this, the investigation, focused on one type of response to manipulative compliments, taking into account extralinguistic factors of communication, is actual and addresses a gap in contemporary language science.

Purpose: The research aims to elucidate the peculiarities of verbalisation of the addressee's reactions to manipulative complimentary utterances in the form of agreement and self-praise.

Results: This article, based on Ukrainian language materials, describes the main linguistic means of reaction to complimentary utterances in the form of agreement and self-praise. Taking into account extra-textual factors, the author elucidates the reasons for this type of verbal response, outlining both direct and indirect ways of its expression, and identifies typical communicative techniques used to influence the interlocutor. The recipient's response as praise in the form of direct agreement – a statement of the correctness or truthfulness of the interlocutor's opinion – is presented as dominant. Promises, assurances, and information about negative actions or improper work of a third party are classified as indirect ways of verbalising agreement.

Among the methods of presenting agreement, repetition and paraphrasing of the manipulator's words, continuation of the interlocutor's thoughts, interpretation or commentary, and confirmation are outlined. Linguistic means, the function of which is to diminish the positive assessment, are identified. These include generalised statements and statements containing references to fashion, traditions, and customs, emphasising duty or belonging to a particular social group or appealing to the peculiarities of personal upbringing.

Discussion: The author concluded that the reaction to a manipulative compliment correlates with extralinguistic factors, in particular, agreement-confirmation is characteristic of situations in which the compliment takes the form of a request for information or contains markers. Responding to a compliment in the form of confirming the interlocutor's opinion may involve appealing to the opinions of others. A reaction to a compliment in the form of agreement-confirmation of the interlocutor's words can be observed in situations where the complimentary utterance concerns the interlocutor's dedication, and they seek to assure the manipulator that their assessment is not unfounded. Reactions to manipulative complimentary utterances may include means of intensifying the positive assessment directed at oneself: repetition, tautology, and hyperbole.

Keywords: manipulative positive strategy, verbal reaction to a manipulative complimentary utterance, Ukrainian language, evaluation, category of evaluation, agreement, self-praise.

Vitae

Iryna Shkitska, Doctor of Philology, Professor at the Department of Information and Sociocultural Activities, West Ukrainian National University (Ternopil, Ukraine). Her research interests encompass pragmalinguistics, comparative linguistics, phraseology, Ukrainian terminology, and the methodology of teaching English and Polish at universities.

Correspondence: i.shkitska@gmail.com 

Article.

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