Face and Face Management
Psychology of Language
John R. Baldwin
School of Communication--ISU
The Basic Concepts
• Face:
• Interaction = Performance
– Lines
– Props
– Audience
• Shameless or heartless?
• Out of face, wrong face
The Basic Concepts
• Facework:
– Preventative
– Restorative
• Dimensions of Face (Brown & Levinson)
– Positive
– Negative
Face-Threatening Acts
• Embarrassment happens when an “actor”
loses face (or poise)
• Some acts can threaten both types of
face
• Sometimes we save one type while
losing another
• Any party can seek to redress face loss
or prevent face loss
• Sometimes, the best response is no
response
Remedial Facework
1. Untoward Act or Predicament
2. Challenge or Reproach (Need not be
spoken)
3. Offering
Humor
Apology
Account (excuse or justification)
Remediation
Aggression (Aggressive facework—save own
face at expense of other’s face)
4. Acceptance
5. Appreciation
Preventative strategies for
doing FTAs
Very Efficient
1. Without redressive action
(bald on record)
2. Positive Politeness (redressive action)
3. Negative Politeness (redressive action)
4. Off record (hinting)
5. Don't do the FTA
Very Polite
Weightiness of an FTA
• SEVERITY OF FTA =
– Distance (Speaker/Hearer)
+
– Power (Speaker/Hearer)
+
– Ranking X (Imposition)
Preventative Facework:
Disclaimers
• Hedging: I may be wrong, but..
• Credentialing: I’m your husband. I have
every right to read your mail.
• Sin license: This is a special occasion!
• Cognitive disclaimer: I know this sounds
crazy, but…
• Appeal for suspended judgment: Hear
me out before you get upset
Positive Politeness Strategies
CLAIM COMMON GROUND
• Convey X is admirable/interesting
– Notice, attend to X’s interests, needs, etc.
– Exaggerate interest, approval, etc.
• Claim in-group membership with X
– Use in-group markers (we, us)
• Claim common point of view, attitude, opinions,
knowledge, empathy
– Give agreement and avoid disagreement
– Presuppose (enthymeme); raise, assert common ground
– Joke
Positive Politeness Strategies
CONVEY THAT SPEAKER & HEARER ARE
COOPERATORS
• Indicate you are taking X’s interests or needs into
account
• Claim Reflexivity
– Offer, promise
– Be optimistic
– Include both S & H in activity
– Give (or ask for) reasons
• Claim reciprocity
FULFILL H’s WANT (for some X)
• Give gifts to X
Negative Politeness Strategies
DON’T ASSUME X IS WILLING OR ABLE TO
PERFORM THE ACTION
– Question, hedge
DON’T TRY TO COERCE X
• Give X option not to act
– Be indirect
– Don’t assume H is able/willing to do the action
– Assume X is not likely to do the Action (Be
pessimistic)
• Minimize threat
– Minimize imposition
– Give deference
Negative Politeness Strategies
COMMUNICATE s’S WANT NOT TO IMPINGE ON H
– Apologize
– Dissociate S, H from particular infringement
• Impersonalize S&H: Avoid “I” and “you”
• State FTA as a general rule
REDRESS H’S OTHER WANTS RELATED TO NEG FACE
– Give deference
– Go on record as incurring a debt, or as not indebting
Off-Record Strategies
INVITE CONVERSATIONAL IMPLICATURES
• Violate Relevance Maxim
– Hints
– Association clues
– Presuppose
• Violate Quantity Maxim
– Understate
– Overstate
• Violate Quality Maxim
– Use contradiction
– Be ironic
– Use metaphors and rhetorical questions
Off-Record Strategies
BE VAGUE OR AMBIGUOUS
• Violate Manner Maxim
– Be ambiguous
– Be vague
– Be incomplete, use ellipsis