The social and psychological functions of a compliment in interpersonal communication

Abstract

The article deals with a compliment as an important component of interpersonal communication. In the Introduction, the author reveals the relevance of the topic under study in connection with the problem of establishing and maintaining relations between people, their further harmonization, and achieving effective conflict-free interaction. In the theoretical substantiation, the author provides an overview of the main approaches to the consideration of the phenomenon of a compliment in Russian and foreign studies; including the issues of similarities and differences of a compliment, flattery, and praise; the influence of compliments on the quality and nature of communication. The novelty of the research lies in the identification and systematization of the functions of compliments in interpersonal communication, the description, and structuring of their formal and substantive characteristics, the analysis of the relationship with similar speech utterances. As this phenomenon is also studied in linguistics, the interdisciplinary approach to the consideration of compliment had a place to be: in the context of socio-psychological and linguistic knowledge. In the Discussion section, the author emphasizes the main areas of research of Russian and foreign authors, which allow us to talk about the importance of compliments in interpersonal interaction. In conclusion, the most important functions that a compliment performs are highlighted: 1) establishing and maintaining friendly relationships or harmonizing interpersonal relationships; 2) providing emotional support; 3) observing etiquette; 4) giving pleasure to the interlocutor; 5) meeting the partner's needs for recognition and approval; 6) constructive or creative (in a conflict discourse); 7) providing psychological influence; 8) an alternative to other speech acts. The author emphasizes the lack of knowledge of this topic, outlines further prospects for research.