she also needs the book but finally agrees to lend it for a little while. When you return the book, you would say
Note: This situation is adapted from a situation in a DCT developed by
Cheng in 2005 for a pilot study:
You are writing a term paper for one of your courses. There is a book you need to read to complete the paper. You go to the library, but the book has
been checked out. Fortunately, a friend of yours, whom you know very well, has a copy of the book and offers to lend it to you for a few days. When you
return the book, what do you say to
your friend?
156
In adapting Cheng ‘s situation, the things which are followed are the theme
of high-imposition favor of lending a book and interlocutor social status. But, in situation 14 in the present study, the familiarity of the favor giver are
adapted and changed. In Cheng‘s situation, the thanker and the favor giver
have high-familiarity since they are friends who know each other very well. But, in situation 14 in the present study, the favor giver and the thanker
have low familiarity since they do not know each other very well.
15. Fixing a laptop equal-status, high-imposition, high-familiarity
Your laptop is infected by a virus. You lost important data that you need to complete your paper. After class, you ask John, your best friend who are in
the same class, to repair it. He knows much about computer software. At first, he refuses because he does not have much time, but finally he agrees to
help you. After the important data is restored, you would say
Note:
This situation is adapted from a situation in a DCT developed by
Cheng in 2005:
156
Stephanie Weijung Cheng 2005, op.cit., p.123.
You are having trouble with your computer; it keeps crashing. You know someone at school who knows a lot about computers and you ask the person
to help you even though the two of you are not close friends. The person hesitates because heshe is very busy, but then agrees to help you, and ends
up spending the whole afternoon fixing your computer. After the computer is fixed, what do you say?
157
In adapting Cheng‘s situation, the things which are followed by situation 15 in the present study are the theme of high-imposition favor of fixing
something and the social status of the favor giver. But, in Cheng‘s, the favor
is fixing computer. In situation 15 in the present study, the favor is fixing laptop. Then, in situation 15 in the present study, the familiarity of the favor
giver is adapted and changed. I n Cheng‘s the favor giver and the thanker
have low-familiarity since they do not know each other very well. However, in situation 15 in the present study, the favor giver and the thanker have
high-familiarity since they are situated as best friends.
16. Taking some sugar equal-status, low-imposition, low-familiarity
After the class, you go out for coffee with some classmates. While all of you are enjoying the coffee, you ask Ron, a classmate whom you do not know
very well, to hand some sugar nearby. After he gives it to you, you would say
Note:
This situation is adapted from a situation in a DCT developed by
Eisenstein and Bodman in 1986:
You are sharing an apartment with a friend. Youre both sitting and relaxing in the living room. You ask your friend to hand you the
newspaper which is nearby. Your friend gives you the newspaper.
158
157
Ibid., p. 128.
158
Miriam Eisenstein and Jean W. Bodman 1986, op.cit. p. 180.
In adapting Eisenstein and Bodman‘s situation, the things which are followed by situation 16 in the present study are the theme of low-
imposition favor of handing something and the social status of the favor giver. However, in Eisenstein and Bodman, the favor is handing a
newspaper. In situation 16 in the present study, the favor is adapted and changed into handing
some sugar. Then, in Eisenstein and Bodman‘s the favor giver and the thanker are situated to have high-familiarity since they
know each other well as roommates. In situation 16 in the present study, the familiarity of the favor giver is adapted and changed into low-familiarity
since the favor giver and the thanker do not know each other very well.
17. Taking scattered papers high-status, low-imposition, equal-familiarity
