Difference between revisions of "Chalfoun2026"
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Latest revision as of 00:53, 22 January 2026
| Chalfoun2026 | |
|---|---|
| BibType | ARTICLE |
| Key | Chalfoun2026 |
| Author(s) | Andrew Chalfoun, Giovanni Rossi, Tanya Stivers |
| Title | Incurable Optimism about Getting What We Want: Anticipating Success in Everyday Requests |
| Editor(s) | |
| Tag(s) | EMCA, Requesting, Social exchange |
| Publisher | |
| Year | 2026 |
| Language | English |
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| Journal | The Sociological Quarterly |
| Volume | 67 |
| Number | 1 |
| Pages | 1-26 |
| URL | Link |
| DOI | 10.1080/00380253.2025.2568214 |
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Abstract
When asking for something significant from another person, speakers not only set the tilt of the question toward the affirmative or negative but also display an optimistic or pessimistic stance toward the request’s ultimate fulfillment. Existing sociological theories provide contrasting predictions about whether optimism or pessimism will dominate request behavior in routine social interactions. This paper evaluates the relative strength of these predictions using conversation analysis (CA), supplemented with structured coding and inferential statistics, to examine everyday requests in seven diverse language communities. We focus on two specific practices for making requests—the tilt of the requesting talk and the use of pre-requests. We find that speakers exhibit a systematic preference for requesting with optimistic stances despite frequently encountering resistance from interlocutors. Consonant with Cerulo’s concept of positive asymmetry, the details of everyday behavior reveal a pervasive bias wherein interactants treat socially desirable, cooperative outcomes as expected while disattending from potential resistance.
Notes
