The Interactional Organization of Self-praise: Epistemics, Preference Organization, and Implications for Identity Research

This article contributes to a social psychological understanding of identity by identifying some features of the interactional organization of self-praise. Early conversation analytic work on the epistemics of self-assessment and constraints against self-praise has shown that praising oneself is an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social psychology quarterly 2012-03, Vol.75 (1), p.52-79
Main Author: Speer, Susan A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attribution
Biological and medical sciences
Compliments
Conversation
Conversation analysis
Criticism
Discourse Analysis
Epistemology
Evidence
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gender identity
Identification
Identity
Interpersonal Competence
Measurement
Measures (Individuals)
Occupational roles
Personality tests
Positive Reinforcement
Praise
Preferences
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Repair
Researchers
Resistance (Psychology)
Schlenker, Barry
Self
Self concept
Self esteem
Self evaluation
Self Evaluation (Individuals)
Social attribution, perception and cognition
Social identity
Social interaction
Social perception
Social Psychology
Social research
Speech Communication
Transsexualism
Vulnerability
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Summary:This article contributes to a social psychological understanding of identity by identifying some features of the interactional organization of self-praise. Early conversation analytic work on the epistemics of self-assessment and constraints against self-praise has shown that praising oneself is an interactionally delicate matter that may leave one vulnerable to "unfavorable character assessment" or accusations of bragging (Pomerantz 1978:89). Drawing on data examples from a range of settings, this article develops Pomerantz's work and examines the role of reported third-party compliments (e.g., "she... said 'you look really lovely'") in objectifying self-praise. Analyzing instances in which speakers initiate repair on their self-descriptions in favor of reported third-party compliments, I provide evidence of practices suggesting a norm against direct self-praise and an interactional preference for embedding positive self-descriptions within a third-party attribution. I consider the implications of these analyses for a social psychological understanding of identity and its measurement.
ISSN:0190-2725
1939-8999
DOI:10.1177/0190272511432939