Is it a matter of politeness?: Face and the effectiveness of messages about condom use

• Bradley Reel ^[2] ; Teresa L. Thompson ^[1]
  1. [1] University of Dayton

     University of Dayton

     City of Dayton, Estados Unidos

     
  2. [2] University of Houston‐Downtown
• Localización: Southern communication journal, ISSN 1041-794X, Vol. 69, nº 2, 2003, págs. 99-119
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The rising number of cases of HIV, combined with the reality that young people are not abstaining from sex and that the HIV virus cannot penetrate an intact latex condom, leads to a need to investigate interpersonal strategies of negotiating condom use. Much of the past research on condom negotiation lacks a theoretical framework and has not focused on specific message characteristics that emerge during interaction. In light of the face threats inherent in condom negotiation, the present three‐phase study was grounded in politeness theory. Responding to hypothetical scenarios in which power and social distance were manipulated, participants generated persuasive messages about condom use. Content analysis of these messages indicated that social distance and power did not influence politeness level of the message strategies. The final phase of the study determined that nonverbal messages and not engaging in the face‐threatening act were seen as less instrumentally effective and socially appropriate, but more likely to preserve the relationship than any of the verbal message strategies. Failure to perform the face‐threatening act posed the least threat to the requesters image, but the greatest threat to the requestee's image.