Pan2022

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Pan2022
BibType ARTICLE
Key Pan2022
Author(s) Shuyi Pan, Yumei Gan
Title Continuing assessments in online dating: Enabling relational development between potential romantic partners in WeChat conversations
Editor(s)
Tag(s) EMCA, assessment, continuing assessments, online dating, romantic relationships, Mandarin Chinese
Publisher
Year 2022
Language
City
Month
Journal Discourse Studies
Volume 24
Number 5
Pages 545-565
URL Link
DOI 10.1177/14614456221108597
ISBN
Organization
Institution
School
Type
Edition
Series
Howpublished
Book title
Chapter

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Abstract

Potential romantic partners often employ specific communicative strategies in computer-mediated communication based on their anticipation of future interactions. This conversation analytic study examines the practice of assessments used in WeChat conversations between potential romantic partners. We found that people recurrently mobilize the action of assessment to maintain or terminate their relationships. Especially, people tend to provide more assessments after an initial assessment, which we term ‘continuing assessment’. We show that continuing assessments are sequentially organized in conversational context between co-participants and are essential for relational developments. When potential partners aim to maintain or advance their relationships, continuing assessments are used to prevent a structurally integrated conversation from falling into closure. In contrast, continuing assessments are applied to put an end to the dialogue and to manage face work. Our study furthers the understanding of the communicative strategies of online dating.

Notes