| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立臺灣師範大學 === 英語學系 === 99 === The present study investigated the development of compliment responses among Mandarin-speaking children. It also explored the effect of the gender and social status of the complimenter, and compliment topics in the perception of and in the response to a compliment. This study employed a comprehension task and a production task. A total of 144 students participated in this study, including five-year-olds, six-year-olds, seven-year-olds, eight-year-olds, nine-year-olds, and undergraduates. There were 24 subjects (12 males and 12 females) in each age group.
No significant differences were found in the subjects’ perception of compliments concerning gender, status, and topics. However, the effect of the complimenter’s gender and status can be seen in the production data. The subjects tended to accept compliments from female complimenters or speakers of higher social status and were more likely to reject compliments given by male complimenters or speakers of lower social status. Although there were no significant differences, it was found that the subjects gave more responses to compliments on concrete topics. Furthermore, our male subjects responded more to compliments about topics like “Ability” while the female subjects to compliments about topics such as “Possession” and “Appearance”.
It was found that the responses from children as young as five years old already showed influences of the gender and status of the complimenter, and compliment topics. However, developmental changes were observed in the subjects’ use of compliment responding strategies. Our children, before the age of eight, used mainly the strategy of Direct Acceptance. Also, the children at this stage rarely produced combined strategies. As they reached eight, they started to use mainly the strategy of Indirect Acceptance to accept compliments and they could produce more combined strategies. Adults, to accept compliments indirectly, relied mostly on combined strategies, which allowed them to simultaneously accept a compliment and avoid self praising.
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