Overinformativeness In Talk Show Programs:a Pragmatic Approach

This thesis is a pragmatic analysis of overinformativeness in TV talk show programs, seeking to explain the dynamic adaptation in overinformativeness production in institutional discourse. Overinformativeness is understood as the dynamic process of providing additional or added information apart from the information literally necessary to the hearer’s satisfaction in the ongoing communication in talk show.Developed from Verschueren’s Adaptation Theory, our conceptual framework is formed on the basis of analyzing authentic conversation data. The production of overinformativeness in communication is a dynamic process that the interlocutor makes linguistic choices by adapting to contextual correlates to meet his communicative needs. Here four components are highlighted:speaker and hearer, communicative needs, negotiation and contextual correlates. The generative mechanism of overinformativeness is derivable from the interplay of these components.Based on the adaptation model, the thesis makes a trial study of the generative mechanism of overinformativeness from the perspectives of production. The research shows that the production of overinformativeness is a process of adaptation, which means that the interlocutor adapts his linguistic choice to the contextual correlates to satisfy his communicative needs. Furthermore, the three contextual correlates (physical, social and mental worlds) explored in this study are found to be diversified. They may exert a powerful influence on the choice of overinformative utterance.Overinformativeness in TV talk show program is variable along two dimensions, namely propositional content and information quantity. With regard to propositional content, overinformativeness is classified into five types:(1) a head act+grounding act(s);(2) a head act+expanding act(s);(3) a head act+attitude-expressing act(s);(4) a head act+defending act(s);(5) a head act+self-repairing act(s). As far as information quantity is concerned, mono-propositional and multi-propositional overinformativeness are differentiated. In all cases, the provision of any single instance of overinformative utterance is shaped by all the contextual variables.Overinformativeness has macro-functions and micro-functions. For the macro-functions, overinformativeness affects the ongoing conversation by reinforcing interactional harmony and raising interactional efficiency. As to the micro-functions, overinformativeness is utilized by communicators to maintain a harmonious interpersonal relationship by constructing his/her good self-image and mitigating the face threat to others.Methodologically speaking, this study is a qualitative one based on naturally occurring data obtained from Chinese and English talk show program videos.The present study may shed some light on the study on overinformativeness in general, and may help gain a deeper insight into the nature of interaction, institutional interaction in particular. It is also expected that the study will be conducive to real interaction practice, especially host and guest, as to how to employ various linguistic strategies to achieve communicative goals.