Personality Differences Of The Chinese Undergraduates In The Use Of Complaint Speech Acts In Chinese

Many researchers at home and abroad in past decades have conducted a large number of studies on complaint speech acts in Chinese.In the course of the study,they find that there are such many variables affecting the use of complaint strategies in Chinese as gender,social distance,and social status(or relative power)between communicative parties.However,until now,few researchers have paid attention to psychological factors which probably have effects on specific speech acts,for example personality.This thesis firstly introduces personality as a variable to the pragmatic study of complaint speech acts in Chinese.The study takes 260 students of the first year in Anhui Finance and Trade Vocational College as research subjects to make a systematic description and analysis of personality differences of the Chinese vocational students in the use of complaint speech acts in Chinese by using Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and Questionnaire of Complaint Strategies in Chinese.The purpose is to find out differences of personality types on complaint speech acts in Chinese,thus providing help and suggestion for language learning,language use,and the acquisition of pragmatic strategies.Based on the above aim,this study mainly focuses on two aspects.First,a study of differences;it studies whether there are significant personality differences in the use of Chinese complaint strategies and whether there are significant personality differences in the use of Chinese complaint strategies associated with social distance or social status.Second,a study on effect,further explorations of differences;if there are significant personality differences in the use of Chinese complaint strategies,it continues to study whether personality types affect the use of complaint strategies in Chinese.Personality types cover introversion,extroversion and ambiversion.Six kinds of common complaint strategies are respectively as follows:"opting out","below the level of reproach","hints","expression of annoyance or disapproval","suggestion" and "explicit complaints".The research method is an experimental study.Results of the study can be drawn as following.Firstly,participating students are mostly ambiversion between introversion and extroversion.There are significant differences of personality types on complaint strategies in Chinese,and in such a classification of three personality types,there are significant differences between any two of them.The average value representing the severity of complaint strategies from high to low is as follows:extroversion>ambiversion>introversion.Secondly,there are significant differences of personality types on complaint strategies in Chinese associated with social distance,and among three types of personality,there are significant differences between each two types of them.The average value representing the severity of complaint strategies from high to low is as follows:extroversion>ambiversion>introversion.In specific situations,complaint strategies used by introverts and extroverts are different to different complaint objects(like strangers,acquaintances,and friends)along with the variation of social distance between communicative parties.When complaining to strangers,introverts and extroverts do not show significant difference,but the overall complaint intensity of extroverts is stronger than introverts;When complaining to acquaintances,introverts adopt milder and politer strategies than extroverts;When complaining to friends,introverts adopt more direct and explicit strategies than extroverts.Thirdly,there is no significant difference of personality types on complaint strategies in Chinese associated with social status.In specific situations,complaint strategies used by introverts and extroverts are roughly same to different complaint objects(like lower social status,equal social status,and higher social status)along with the variation of relative power between communicative parties.When complaining to the hearer of a lower status,both introverts and extroverts are inclined to adopt direct and explicit strategies;when complaining to the hearer of a higher status,both introverts and extroverts are inclined to adopt indirect and polite strategies.Fourth,personality type does not affect the use of complaint strategies in Chinese.This thesis studies complaint speech acts in Chinese from the level of psychology,which has not only enriched the study of complaint speech acts,but broadened the research field of personality.Furthermore,the study also finds that compared with introverted students,extroverted students complain more and the severity of complaints is more severe on the whole.The finding will attract more teaching staff to focus on students' personality types,to think about the practice of education and teaching,and to alter the way of teaching.Meanwhile,the.study also provides some theoretical guidance for teaching Chinese as a foreign language,and it will be helpful to promote the development of harmonious communication through the understanding and master of specific speech act.