DOI: 10.5176/2251-3566_L316.27
Authors: Elsie Albis
Abstract: This study investigates the sex-based differences in compliment topics and responses to compliments of the male and female college students of Ateneo de Naga University in Bikol, Philippines. A total of 50 compliments and 50 compliment responses were gathered via transcription of natural occurring oral discourses within the period of five months. The analysis shows (5) common compliment topics among the participants: appearance, possessions, performance, abilities/ skills/ intelligence, and personalities. The results also reveal certain differences between men and women in receiving compliments. The most frequent topic for male participants is abilities followed by performances. Conversely, it is appearance followed by possessions for women. The compliment responses were also analyzed and categorized according to the compliment response type of Holmes (1988). The most frequent response type for both male and female is acceptance. Unlike the females, there were no instances of rejection of compliments among the male participants. However, both groups tend to evade the compliments though the female subjects had a higher tendency than the males in this category. The findings also show that both the male and female participants were interested in maintaining solidarity during the course of the conversation. From these findings, several pedagogical and socio-cultural implications have been provided.
Keywords: language; speech act; compliments, sex differences; compliment responses, compliment topics
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