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Reconsidering self‐deprecation as a communication practice
Author(s) -
Speer Susan A.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
british journal of social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 2044-8309
pISSN - 0144-6665
DOI - 10.1111/bjso.12329
Subject(s) - psychology , ascription , conversation , criticism , cognition , perspective (graphical) , social psychology , conversation analysis , function (biology) , preference , cognitive psychology , epistemology , communication , art , philosophy , literature , neuroscience , artificial intelligence , evolutionary biology , computer science , economics , biology , microeconomics
‘Self‐deprecation’ ( SD ) is widely understood within social psychology and popular culture as a form of self‐talk that reflects a cognitive state, such as low self‐esteem or negative self‐regard. However, most research on SD suffers theoretical and methodological problems that fail to account for how its cognitive and linguistic aspects can be reconciled. We know little about SD as it occurs in interactional settings. Utilizing a conversation analytic ( CA ) perspective that brackets cognitive explanations for linguistic phenomena, this paper draws on more than 100 hours of transcribed recordings of interactions from diverse settings to systematically examine the form and function of a common class of SD : critical comments by a speaker on their current talk or actions (self‐deprecatory meta‐comments; SDMC s). Analyses demonstrate that SDMC s are used in environments of possible or actual interactional trouble, and manage this trouble in different sequential positions. The paper shows that SD s can be treated as a communication practice. Rigorous analysis of SDMC s can enrich understanding of the construction of ‘identities’ in talk. It advances a CA understanding of the ascription of social actions, and the preference for self‐criticism over criticism by others. Findings suggest that widespread advice to self‐deprecate less may be invalid.