A Pragmatic Analysis Of Language Manipulation Strategies And Motives In Ted Bundy’s Statements

A

PRAGMATIC

ANALYSIS

OF

LANGUAGE

MANIPULATION

STRATEGIES AND MOTIVES IN TED BUNDY’S STATEMENTS

A THESIS

BY
RINNAH WIYONO
REG. NO. 110705039

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

FACULTY OF CULTURAL STUDIES
UNIVERSITY OF SUMATERA UTARA
MEDAN 2015

1

A

PRAGMATIC

ANALYSIS

OF

LANGUAGE

MANIPULATION

STRATEGIES AND MOTIVES IN TED BUNDY’S STATEMENTS
A THESIS

BY
RINNAH WIYONO
REG. NO. 110705039

Submitted to Faculty of Cultural Studies University of Sumatera Utara Medan
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Sarjana Sastra from
Department of English.

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
FACULTY OF CULTURAL STUDIES
UNIVERSITY OF SUMATERA UTARA
MEDAN 2015
2

Approved by the Department of English, Faculty of Cultural Studies University
of Sumatera Utara (USU) Medan as thesis for The Sarjana Sastra Examination.

Head,

Secretary,

Dr. Muhizar Muchtar, M.S.

Rahmadsyah Rangkuti, M.A., Ph.D

NIP. 19541117 198003 1 002

NIP. 19750209 200812 1 002

3

Accepted by the Board of Examiners in partial fulfillment of requirements for
the degree of Sarjana Sastra from the Department of English, Faculty of
Cultural Studies University of Sumatera Utara, Medan.

The examination is held in Department of English Faculty of Cultural Studies
University of Sumatera Utara on July 4th, 2015.
Dean of Faculty of Cultural Studies
University of Sumatera Utara

Dr. H. Syahron Lubis, M.A.
NIP. 19511013 197603 001

Board of Examiners:
Dr. Muhizar Muchtar, M.S.

....................................................

Rahmadsyah Rangkuti, M.A., Ph.D

....................................................

Dr. H. Syahron Lubis, M.A.

....................................................

Dr. Ridwan Hanafiah, M.A.

....................................................

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AUTHOR’S DECLARATION

I, RINNAH WIYONO, DECLARE THAT I AM THE SOLE AUTHOR OF
THIS THESIS EXCEPT WHERE REFERENCE IS MADE IN THE TEXT OF
THIS THESIS. THIS THESIS CONTAINS NO MATERIAL PUBLISHED
ELSEWHERE OR EXTRACTED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FROM A
THESIS BY WHICH I HAVE QUALIFIED FOR OR AWARDED ANOTHER
DEGREE. NO OTHER PERSON’S WORK HAS BEEN USED WITHOUT
DUE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS IN THE MAIN TEXT OF THIS THESIS.
THIS THESIS HAS NOT BEEN SUBMITTED FOR THE AWARD OF
ANOTHER DEGREE IN ANY TERTIARY EDUCATION.

Signed :
Date

: July 04th, 2015

v

COPYRIGHT DECLARATION

NAME

: RINNAH WIYONO

TITLE OF THESIS : A PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF LANGUAGE
MANIPULATION STRATEGIES AND MOTIVES IN
TED BUNDY’S STATEMENTS
QUALIFICATION : S-1 / SARJANA SASTRA
DEPARTMENT

: ENGLISH

I AM WILLING THAT MY THESIS SHOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR
REPRODUCTION AT THE DISCRETION OF THE LIBRARIAN OF
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH, FACULTY OF CULTURAL STUDIES,
UNIVERSITY OF SUMATERA UTARA ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT
USERS ARE MADE AWARE OF THEIR OBLIGATION UNDER THE LAW

OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA.

Signed :
Date

: July 04th, 2015

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Nobody should deserve my major and foremost gratitude other than Jesus
Christ. I thank You, Jesus, for guiding me through my entire life, particularly through
the process of accomplishing this thesis. It has been only by Your favor that I could
achieve what I have achieved until this very day. Thank You for being the One that I
could always look up to whole the time. Thank You for always providing me what I
need instead of what I want, because Your plans are certainly better than mine.
Thank You for being there, during each happy and hard time that I have been going
through. Thank You for being the reason that I am alive. I could write a hundred
page of book only to show how I thank You, yet it may never be enough.
I truly realise that it has also been by the help and motivation by people

around me that I could finally complete this thesis. Therefore in this page, I would
like to express my gratitude to the people who have taken important roles in guiding
me through the whole process of finishing this thesis.
I would like to thank the Dean of Faculty of Cultural Studies, Dr. H. Syahron
Lubis, M.A., the Head of Department of English, Dr. Muhizar Muchtar, M.S., the
Secretary of Department of English, Rahmadsyah Rangkuti M.A., Ph.D and other
staffs of Department of English for their helpful encouragement, assistance and
support given to me.
I extend my gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. H. Syahron Lubis, M.A., and also
my co-supervisor, Dr. Umar Mono, M.A. Thank you for dedicating the time, energy,
and efforts in order to help me complete this thesis. Thank you for the advice,

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suggestions, and motivations which have encouraged me to achieve better academic
results.
My greatest thanks also goes to my two living heroes: my perfectionist and
organised father, Jeremy Wiyono, from whom I inherit most of the genes, and my
super kind and gentle mother, Lea, from whom I learn the most precious values in
life. For my eldest brother, David Wiyono, and my older sister, Deborah Wiyono,

thank you for being my eternal siblings as well as my partners in crime. Thank you
for being the people who will always get my back no matter what and how the
situation is.
I send my love to my supportive and hilarious friends, more than ever, Aida
Caroline, Raja Guntar, Elvi Rahmi, Anggie and also all the students of IMSI 2011
who have shared laughters, tears as well as other uncountable living memories which
I will surely keep close in my heart eternally.
Should I say that I might not write the names of all people who have been
important to me in this piece of paper, so to sum it all up, I’ll just say thanks to those
who:
- have stayed beside me in my times of need. From them, I learn that God’s gift
includes understanding and caring friends, which I fortunately own and can always
count on.
- have turned their backs at me to teach me that not all people should stay in my
life forever. Sometimes some people have to go and we should continue living our
own lives.

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Last but not least, I thank the awesome and wonderful 21st century’s

technology which has indirectly contributed in helping me improve my knowledge as
a person in general, and as a student in particular.

Medan, June 2015
The Writer,

Rinnah Wiyono

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ABSTRAK
Skripsi ini berjudul “A Pragmatic Analysis of Language Manipulation
Strategies and Motives in Ted Bundy’s Statements”. Skripsi ini secara khusus
menyoroti praktek manipulasi bahasa dalam bidang kriminal. Objek yang menjadi
penelitian skripsi ini adalah Theodore Robert Bundy atau Ted Bundy. Analisis
skripsi memfokuskan pada pernyataan-pernyataan dari Ted Bundy yang
mengindikasikan bahwa ia menggunakan strategi manipulasi bahasa, serta motifmotif di balik manipulasi bahasa tersebut. Hasil dari penelitian mengenai strategi
manipulasi bahasa pada pernyataan Ted Bundy dengan menggunakan teori Simon
adalah sebagai berikut: Denial (3 data), Selective Inattention (1 data),
Rationalization (2 data), Diversion (2 data), Lying (1 data), Covert Intimidation (1

data), Guilt-tripping (2 data), Shaming (2 data), Playing the Victim Role (4 data),
Vilifying the Victim (1 data), Playing the Servant Role (1 data), Seduction (1 data),
Projecting the Blame (2 data), Minimization (2 data). Sementara hasil dari penelitian
mengenai motif manipulasi bahasa pada pernyataan Ted Bundy dengan
menggunakan teori Braiker adalah sebagai berikut: To advance manipulator’s own
purposes (18 data), to attain feelings of power and superiority (3 data), to feel in
control of manipulator’s own emotions (4 data). Berdasarkan hasil tersebut dapat
disimpulkan bahwa strategi manipulasi bahasa yang paling dominan ditemukan
dalam pernyataan-pernyataan Ted Bundy adalah strategi Playing the Victim Role,
sedangkan motif manipulasi bahasa yang paling dominan adalah to advance
manipulator’s own purposes.

Kata kunci : manipulasi, bahasa, linguistik, pragmatik

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ABSTRACT
The title of this thesis is “A Pragmatic Analysis of Language Manipulation
Strategies and Motives in Ted Bundy’s Statements.” This thesis specifically
concentrates on the practice of language manipulation in criminalism. The object of
this study is Theodore Robert Bundy or Ted Bundy. This thesis focuses on the
statements of Ted Bundy which indicates that he used language manipulation
strategies, as well as the motives behind the statements. The results of the study of
language manipulation strategies in Ted Bundy’s statements using Simon’s theory
are as follows: Denial (3 data), Selective Inattention (1 data), Rationalization (2
data), Diversion (2 data), Lying (1 data), Covert Intimidation (1 data), Guilt-tripping
(2 data), Shaming (2 data), Playing the Victim Role (4 data), Vilifying the Victim (1
data), Playing the Servant Role (1 data), Seduction (1 data), Projecting the Blame (2
data), Minimization (2 data). Meanwhile, the results of the study of language
manipulation motives using Braiker’s theory are as follows: To advance
manipulator’s own purposes (18 data), to attain feelings of power and superiority (3
data), to feel in control of manipulator’s own emotions (4 data). Based on the results,
it can be concluded that the most dominant language manipulation strategy in Ted
Bundy’s statements is Playing the Victim Role, while the most dominant language
manipulation motive in his statements is to advance manipulator’s own purposes.

Keywords : manipulation, language, linguistics, pragmatics

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

AUTHOR’S DECLARATION .............................................................................. v
COPYRIGHT DECLARATION .......................................................................... vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................vii
ABSTRAK ............................................................................................................... x
ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................ xi
TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................... xii
LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................... xvi
CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background of the Study .............................................. 1
1.2. Problems of the Study ................................................... 6
1.3. Objectives of the Study ................................................. 7
1.4. Scope of the Study ........................................................ 7
1.5. Significance of the Study .............................................. 8

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1. Pragmatics as the Study of Meaning ............................. 9
2.2. Speech Acts ................................................................... 11

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2.2.1. Locutionary Acts ........................................................ 13
2.2.2. Illocutionary Acts ....................................................... 13
2.2.3. Perlocutionary Acts .................................................... 15
2.3. Speech Events ............................................................... 15
2.4. Speaker .......................................................................... 17
2.5. Cognitive Pragmatics .................................................... 19
2.6. Language Manipulation ................................................. 20
2.6.1. Language Manipulation Strategies ............................. 23
2.6.2. Language Manipulation Motives ............................... 28
2.7. Previous Study .............................................................. 29
CHAPTER III

METHOD OF RESEARCH
3.1. Research Design ........................................................... 32
3.2. Source of Data .............................................................. 33
3.3. Data Collection Procedures .......................................... 33
3.4. Step of the Research ..................................................... 34

CHAPTER IV

DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS
4.1. Language Manipulation Strategies ............................... 35
4.1.1. Denial ........................................................................ 35

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4.1.2. Selective Inattention .................................................. 37
4.1.3. Rationalization .......................................................... 37
4.1.4. Diversion ................................................................... 40
4.1.5. Lying ......................................................................... 42
4.1.6. Covert Intimidation ................................................... 44
4.1.7. Guilt-tripping ............................................................. 45
4.1.8. Shaming ..................................................................... 47
4.1.9. Playing the Victim Role ............................................ 48
4.1.10. Vilifying the Victim ................................................. 52
4.1.11. Playing the Servant Role .......................................... 52
4.1.12. Seduction .................................................................. 54
4.1.13. Projecting the Blame (Blaming Others) ................... 55
4.1.14. Minimization ............................................................ 56
4.2. Language Manipulation Motives .................................. 57
4.2.1. To Advance Manipulator’s Own Purposes ................ 57
4.2.2. To Attain Feelings of Power and Superiority ............ 73
4.2.3. To Feel in Control of Manipulator’s Own Emotions..77
4.3. The Most Dominant Language Manipulation Strategy

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and Motive ................................................................. 80
CHAPTER V

CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
5.1. Conclusions ................................................................ 83
5.2. Suggestions ................................................................. 84

REFERENCES

85

APPENDICES

xv

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1 The Most Dominant Language Manipulation Strategy .............................. 81
Table 2 The Most Dominant Language Manipulation Motive ................................ 82

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